


Waiting To Set It Right

by haatorii



Series: Waiting To Set It Right [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Badass Reyna, Bottom Nico di Angelo, EVERYONE IS IN THEIR LATE 20S OR EARLY 30S, First Dates, First Meetings, Frank and Hazel are theatre actors, I DONT KNOW WHAT TO PUT ANYMORE, Implied Straight Sex, M/M, Medical Student Will Solace, Minor Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Oral Sex, Top Travis Stoll, Writer Nico di Angelo, background Jason Grace/Piper McLean - Freeform, background Leo Valdez/Calypso - Freeform, background Percy Jackson/annabeth chase - Freeform, except for the canonically older characters, late 20s Nico di Angelo, mid 20s Will Solace, mild burn?, no beta we die like men, the tags will update as the series does
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:07:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 115,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24217864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haatorii/pseuds/haatorii
Summary: Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!! The guy isn’t even a waiter! Nico has maybe only a bit of sobriety left to realize that the guy he called is not a waiter! The night just keeps getting worse! What the fuck why is he even wearing a black shirt in this fucking restaurant if he’s not fucking part of the staff? He’s so fucking embarrassing! I hope I get drunk enough so I forget this.-----After getting "dumped", Nico meets a stranger in a bar.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Travis Stoll, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, established Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang - Relationship, past Katie Gardner/Will Solace
Series: Waiting To Set It Right [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801249
Comments: 204
Kudos: 241





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Once again I am back for more Solangelo! I was supposed to post this yesterday in celebration of the announcement of the PJO live-action series but I got distracted. Anyway, this is my first attempt on a multi-chap fic. I hope I don't get bored and leave this work before finishing it, but so far, so good.
> 
> I decided to make this a crossover fic with IT but the characters from It won't interact with the PJO & HoO characters that much. It's probably just Richie because he works with Nico, and Eddie since he's dating Richie. 
> 
> I'm so excited to go back to Solangelo after almost a year of not posting anything other than that "Snippets" a few weeks ago.
> 
> Title is from Handwriting by Emily and the Woods. It's such a good song guys, give it a listen.
> 
> This fic's rating and tags will update as the story goes. Wow, this is too long now imma shut up.

“I’m happy for you, Rich. Kkksshhh ksssshhhh uh-oh I’m in a tunnel now see you tomorrow okbye.” Nico hangs up immediately to let out a long groan and slumps his head on the booth’s surface. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

He could not believe he just got dumped. By someone he’s not even dating! Well, technically it’s their _trial_ date. The other day Richie was ready to get over that childhood friend of his, but for some reasons they’re probably dating now? That’s fucking absurd. He’s happy for the guy, don’t get him wrong, but that is just some fairy tale bullshit. **NO ONE** is good enough to have the karma gods shower them with that much luck, especially not Richie _fucking_ Tozier.

God, he’s so pathetic. He’s still happy for him, though. He’s been pining and lusting and hurting for that friend of his for over a literal decade. Richie might be an asshole with a motor mouth, but he’s genuinely a good person. A bit of a pervert but extremely charming. An absolute moron but a really caring friend and oh my god he likes Richie. Oh Jesus almighty he likes Richie. Oh god oh god oh god _he likes Richie!_

Oh well, fuck. Guess he can’t have Richie now. He’ll just drink himself stupid (most likely) then blackout in the middle of the night. He always finds himself home the morning after so he guesses it’s fine if he drinks his bodyweight tonight. He pounds his head softly on the booth. Nico orders a few more drinks and a few more plates of fries. _See what you did, Richie? You made me break my diet. I hope your fucking happy making out with your best friend_ , he thinks. 

He is already on his nth glass of mojito (he honestly couldn’t remember anymore) when he accidentally elbows a plate of something oily that sends it flying before breaking on the floor. “Aw fuck! Shit shit shit!” Nico whispers to himself. Good thing it’s 9:36 PM on a Tuesday so there are only a few people inside the restaurant. He doesn’t even like going to these kinds of restaurants. It was all Richie’s idea to meet in this place. Casual dining, the fuck does that even mean? Ugh, he’s already smashed and it’s not even 10 PM yet. 

“Uh… hey, do you have a trash can I could use to pick these off?” he asks a passing guy. 

The guy looks behind him. “Me?” 

“Yes. I elbowed the…” he looks down at the floor but couldn’t make out what his food was. “Plate. Accidentally.”

“Oh. Um… excuse me?” the stranger hollers. “Can we have a trash bag here or something? A plate broke.”

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!! The guy isn’t even a waiter! Nico has maybe only a bit of sobriety left to realize that the guy he called **is not** a waiter! The night just keeps getting worse! What the fuck why is he even wearing a black shirt in this fucking restaurant if he’s not fucking part of the staff? He’s so fucking embarrassing! _I hope I get drunk enough so I forget this._

The restaurant staff brings a trash bag and starts scooping the remnants of food and glassware on the floor when Nico attempts to grab the bag the lady just tells him it’s fine, that she could do it. Nico smiles at her and mentally tells himself to give her server a larger tip. He might be a tad bit heartbroken and a little bit angry but he’s not an animal. He could be a tad bit heartbroken and a little bit of angry **AND** be respectful to his waitress.

When everything is done and cleaned, Nico goes back to his drink. He could still stay for a few more minutes. Possibly until 10:30 since he doesn’t have anything urgent to do tomorrow. He already filed a 'sick leave' because he thought he might get lucky tonight with Richie, but that’s not happening now, isn’t it? Richie is probably getting lucky right now though. Good for that broad chump.

“Hey,” Nico’s mindless thinking is interrupted by the man Nico thought was a waiter. “Are you okay?”

Nico looks at him. “No. Why?”

“You’ve been drinking a lot.”

“Yeah, no shit.” The guy sits in front of him. “Hey—”

“I’m Will.” The guy—Will—holds his hand out.

Nico stares at his hand. “Nico.”

Will withdraws his hand. “Nico. Nice to meetcha, Nico. What brings you to this fine establishment we call _Johnny’s_?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because my dear Robin you’ve been drinking like a fish for the past hour and you’ve eaten like Shrek’s share of onion rings. Plus you broke a plate and mistook me for a waiter.”

“You’re wearing a black shirt with a nametag,” he points at the gu—Will’s shirt, “and you’re wearing black pants.” He says.

“Your point being?”

“You look like part of the wait staff.” Nico deadpans.

Will mockingly gasps. “I most certainly do not! These are scrubs and I happen to like black scrubs.”

“What do you want, big guy?”

“I just want to talk.” Will smiles.

Nico eyes him skeptically. What does this guy want? Jesus whatever. “Mhm.” He answers.

“What’s that?” Will raises his eyebrow.

“What’s what?”

“That thing, that sound you made. ‘Mhm.’ What does that even mean?”

“It’s just ‘mhm’, dickwad. It is what it is.” He takes a sip of his 12623 glass of mojito.

“Alright, alright. No need to get pissy, Robin.”

“That’s not my fucking name.”

“Oh, I know, but Robin sounds better.”

“And why is that?”

“Uh, have you seen yourself?” Will gestures to him.

“I have not. Why?” he sips his drink again.

“You look like Nico Robin.” He smiles. Cute.

“And who’s that?”

“Seriously? You don’t know who Nico Robin is?”

“I may have a vague idea. Is this Nico Robin a man or a woman?”

“Woman.” Will leans back to his part of the booth.

“Is she working in the entertainment industry?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“Is she an actress?”

“Mhm.” Will bites his lip, still smiling.

“What’s her most famous role?” Nico finishes his drink and gestures for another one.

“A pirate.”

“A pirate? Huh. I haven’t heard any new or old production about pirates.” Nico’s waitress gives him another glass of mojito. He thanks her and pays attention to the man in front of him again. “Was she in Pirates of the Caribbean?”

“Hm, no. She’s more active in the eastern part of the world.”

“Oh. Asia is pretty huge. Is she Korean, Japanese, or Chinese?”

“Yes.” Will’s face is getting red, obviously suppressing a laugh.

“Wait, that’s not an answer. You’re not answering my question! Are you making fun of me?” Nico says accusingly which Will uses as a cue to laugh loud and hard. Nico’s red face flushes deeper.

“Oh my god! You seriously don’t know who Nico Robin is?”

With furrowed brows, Nico answers, “no.”

“She’s an anime, dude. How could you not know that?” Will’s still clutching his stomach from laughing so hard the other guests shot them a look.

“Because I’m an adult with a real job who doesn’t watch cartoons?”

“Oh really? You’re an adult who works at DeadDreams Inc.? How old are you, like 40?”

“No, I’m 28. I’m a writer.”

“Don’t writers have to have an active imagination?”

“Yeah they do, but I get my material anywhere but kids show.”

“Wow, excuse you anime isn’t just for kids. Ugh. Please don’t tell me you hate anime. I could never go on a date with someone who hates anime.” Will shakes his pointer finger on Nico’s face.

“What are you, 12? What do you even do?”

“I will never disclose the number of years I have spent in our dear planet, my good Sir Robin, the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot. As for what I do, I will have you know I’m still a student.” Will answers smugly.

“Student, my ass. You look ancient!”

“Oh, I am deeply offended. Unfortunately, that is true. Med school is hard and long, just like my schlong.” He says grinning. “Oh look, I made it rhyme. Does that mean I’m a writer now too?”

“You’re disgusting.” Nico finishes his drink but doesn’t get another one, instead, he asks for a pitcher of water. He offers to Will his plate of fries. Will gets some. “How’s the med school thing going?”

“It’s fine, I guess. Can’t complain. In fact—“

Nico lets Will talk about his studies while he finishes the pitcher of water placed in front of him. He finds out Will is studying to be an oncologist but it would possibly take him another decade to be considered a ‘good’ doctor, enough for him to be recommended to patients who need his help. 

Nico interrupts him to go to the bathroom but when he returns, he tells him the reason why he’s drinking so early. He tells him about Richie, without mentioning his name. He also tells him about his failed relationship with two of his friends. That he’s a giant pile shit and he knows it. He tells him how he made a move on his friend Percy and though they broke up after just a few months he still couldn’t forget him. He tells him about Jason, Percy’s best friend. How he comforted him after their break up, how he made Jason his rebound after Percy. He and Jason lasted for a year before it’s just strings of guys. He tells him how he realized he liked Richie right after he blew their date off for his best friend. 

Extremely personal for someone you literally just met, but by the time he finishes his story he’s almost sober. 

Will quirks his lips at him. “What?” Nico asks.

“I’m thinking.” Will nibbles on his nail.

“Don’t hurt yourself.”

“Shut up, I said I’m thinking.”

“Well, continue thinking until I’m back from the toilet.”

Nico washes his hands on the sink and looks at himself in the mirror. God, he looks like shit. And what’s wrong with his suit? It’s black. Plain but nice and clean. He washes his hands again. He waits for another person to come in before going out of the toilet. _Thank fuck_ , he thinks, _public doorknobs are disgusting_.

“I’m back, moron. What’ve you got?”

Will rises from his seat and grabs Nico’s jacket from the table. “Hey! Give that back!”

“Come on! Let’s go!”

“Wait, goddamn why are your legs so long!”

Nico pays his bill, not forgetting to tip his waitress a fairly large amount for the shit he caused, and rushes outside with Will. He doesn’t know where they’re going but he hopes he has a car because he is NOT in the mood to walk around tonight. He’s not drunk anymore but he’s still stumbling in his steps and the room still spins but he tries his best to go after Will.

He opens the door to a cool night breeze. “There you are,” Will says to him.

“Where are we going and why do you have legs like that?” He points at the other man’s legs.

“What, these?” He lifts one leg. “You’re just short, buddy.”

“Well fuck you, my height’s fine. You’re just a tree.”

Will gives him a wink. “A tree you’d like to climb is what I think.”

“Oh, you wish.”

Nico walks behind Will when he notices they’re going to the parking lot behind. “Wait, you haven’t told me yet why were you in the restaurant.”

“Hm?” Will stops to look at him.

“Why were you at the restaurant?”

“I was supposed to meet some friends back in there.”

Nico panics, “Then why are we going? Shouldn’t you be with your friends? You barely know me.”

“I know you enough. And besides, they’re long gone. I texted them while you were in the toilet the first time.” Will starts to walk again.

Nico feels warm and embarrassed at the same time. This man just stood his friends for him, a literal stranger, because he took one look at him and saw how pitiful he was. Nico stays still on his spot. He hears Will come back.

“Neeks, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Do you wanna puke? I have aspirin in my car, it’s just around the corner. I could run there, just wait okay? If you can’t hold it in just make sure to do it by that plant over there.” Will rambles as he caresses Nico’s back and shoulders.

“I’m fine,” he’s still looking at his shoes. Goddammit, he’s fucking 28 why is he behaving like a child? He should have been more mature. It’s not a big fucking deal! He caught feelings with his friend, so fucking what? As if it doesn’t happen to him all the time. He should have been used to this. He should have anticipated this. It’s a fucking routine now, for fuck’s sake. All of his exes were his friends first! If he puts his mind on it, getting dumped before they’re even together is way better than getting dumped after months of dating. And he only just realized he liked Richie so it’s not hard to get over him, right? And now this guy, admittedly he’s attractive but he looked nothing like Richie, is taking pity on him, fussing on him, and he’s behaving like a child.

Jesus, he could not even understand his head. He’s still drunk that’s for sure.

Nico realizes Will is still crouching in front of him. He lifts his head, not smiling. He doesn’t smile at strangers. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Worry still visible in his face.

“Yes.”

“Does your head hurt?”

Nico shakes his head.

“Do you still want to puke?”

“No.”

“Okay, we’ll take it easy. You can wait here while I go get my car, alright?”

Nico nods his head and Will walks.

\----

Being in a stranger’s car shouldn’t be this stressful, Nico thinks. He does it all the time when he rides a Lyft or Uber, but maybe because he doesn’t sit on the passenger’s side when he grabs an Uber. Will’s car is an old Honda Corolla and it smells like oranges and another citrus he cannot name. 

Will brought him to a small dog park. It’s almost midnight so there’s no one around, just a few benches, a few street lamps, the faint sound of cars, and the night breeze. They talk for a while, while Nico waits for the mild poison in his veins to dissipate some more. Will gets a water bottle out from nowhere and gives it to Nico.

Midnight comes and after saying that he has to have an early start the next day, Will offers Nico to drive him home. “I’m not comfortable Nico taking the subway while tipsy,” he says. “The subways are mostly empty so if you fall off the tracks he might get run over because he’s so small to see,” he continues. Nico glares at him but agrees. Twenty minutes later, he’s at his building and punching his number on Will’s phone. 

Will ruffles his hair and waits until he gets inside. Will is still smiling at him as he closes the elevator doors. He doesn't stop smiling, does he?

He smiles back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico scrambles for his phone and sees several texts from an unknown number.
> 
> i had fun last night, hope u did 2!   
> drink aspirin and dont forget 2 rehydrate.   
> see u around Robin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Nico lore!!!
> 
> I told you I'll post this one on Saturday but I finished this last Sunday and I can't wait to post it, so now I guess updates will be irregular. Irregular as in "when I finish proofreading I'll post it", not ''whenever I feel like it" irregular.
> 
> Also, I have made some bad creative decisions because honestly, I don't know where to put Richie after this update. So imma pretend he's busy as hell after this update so he won't be showing up in the next chapters. 
> 
> Another thing, I told you Will isn't going to be in this chapter but I changed my mind. I still went a little overboard with the Reddie though, but as I said, this is so far the last chapter Richie's in. But there's a lot of Nico lore in here and it's kind of essential to the story, I think.
> 
> Anyway, this fic is still unbetad but I did proofread it to the best of my abilities.

Nico wakes up to a slight discomfort in his head. Thank god he switched back to water that early yesterday and Will kept giving him water to clear his head. Oh yeah, Will. Fuck. He forgot to thank him last night!

Nico scrambles for his phone and sees several texts from an unknown number.

_i had fun, hope u did 2!_ **2:03**

 _drink aspirin and dont forget 2 rehydrate._ **2:03**

 _see u around Robin_ **2:03**

Nico smiles to himself.

What are you, 12? Who texts like that? **9:32**

Jk. I had fun too. Thank you for putting up with me. **9:32**

_lmaoo, its my pleasure!_ 9:34

 _if u need a drinking buddy, text/call me I’ll free my schedule_ **9:34**

 _as long as its not day drinking im down_ **9:34**

Nico sends him a thumbs up and gets off his bed to start his unexpected day off.

\----

“Neeks, can I talk to you for a sec?” Nico is busy typing away in his temporary office he shared with 4 other people when he is interrupted. He saves his work and looks up, it’s Richie.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” he asks, adjusting posture. He’s been hunched for quite a while now.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Richie asks again.

“Sure, what’s up?”

Richie rubs the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. “Um, can we not do it here? Can we do it over coffee?”

Ah, it must be about the other night, Nico thinks. “Why, what’s wrong here?” He’s uncomfortable and Nico couldn’t help but pull his leg a little.

“It’s just…” Richie starts, “it’s about the other night.” His face is contorted in a weird way Nico is having a hard time suppressing his laugh.

“Why? What about the other night?” He asks innocently.

Richie lets out a deep sigh. “Come on, man. I know you’re just fucking with me. I feel really guilty about the other night.” He whines.

With that, Nico lets out a chuckle. It kinda stung being stood up but he did have a good night nevertheless. “Yeah, I’m just fucking with you. Just gimme a few more minutes and I’m done.” Nico goes back to what he’s typing, not waiting for an answer from the other man.

True to his words, Nico finishes his work in 15 minutes. It’s already lunch so he grabs his wallet, phone, jacket, and heads out. Richie is fiddling with his phone by the elevators. “Hey Rich, come on.” He says. Richie quickly puts his phone back to his pocket and follows Nico in the lift. The ride is short since his ‘office’ is on the 3rd floor. Not long after they’re finally on their way to the nearest McDonalds.

Nico immediately digs in when their food arrives, leaving Richie to start the conversation since it was his idea to talk in the first place. He steals glances at him every now and then. Richie looks guilty as hell and he actually feels like Richie is about 3 seconds away from begging on his knees or something.

He finishes his first burger before Richie clears his throat. “Um, Neeks?”

Nico folds the wax paper and wiped his mouth. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry about the other night,” Richie says as he nibbles on the mouth of his plastic cup.

Nico leans back to his chair and folds his arms. “Uh-huh. You keep saying ‘the other night’.”

“It was real dick move standing you up like that, Neeks, I’m so sorry.” Richie looks remorseful, even bowing his head.

“It’s fine.” Nico sighs.

His head snaps up Nico swears he heard something crack. “Really?”

“No, dipshit. It’s not okay! I waited, man! I waited for you.”

“I’m really sorry, Neeks. If I have a better excuse I would say it but I don’t and all I could offer you is my apologies. I’m really sorry man.” His voice is so soft Nico almost breaks. His chest hurts for this man.

“Why did you stood me up?” Richie opens his mouth to answer but Nico raises his palm at him. “I know you told me bits and pieces the other night but I want to know the truth. It’s the least you could do to me after all the things we planned years ago.”

Richie lets out another sigh and rubs his hands to his face. He takes a sip and starts talking. “You know how I liked one of my childhood friends, the one in Maine? The friends I met when I was five. I told you that like a few years back, right? That after I moved away from college I sorta lost contact with my gang?” Nico nods.

“I went back home to attend my friend’s dad’s funeral last year. We kind of reconnected after that, the seven of us. And,” he releases a breath, “Eddie and I hooked up that night.”

Nico doesn’t know where the story is going so he let the other man continue. “I thought I moved on from him, you know? It’s been over a decade. But it’s like hearing your old favorite song or eating your favorite childhood food again, you still know the lyrics, the taste. The seven of us, we stayed for a couple of days for Stan. We wanted to be there for him, just like he did when we were kids. We went to our old clubhouse, the places we hung out when we were kids, and it was just there, the spots where I slowly realized I have feelings for that neurotic little shit.

“Everywhere I looked I would remember something. Like the cliff by the quarry, we would always jump off of it and swim until our hands were all wrinkly, and when I start to turn pink from the heat he would smother me in sunblock and sit with me for about 30 minutes before going back to the water. He would do that to everyone but he would only sit and wait with me because I would immediately go back to the water. And the main street, where Stan and I would wait for him to catch up. He kept saying we shouldn’t wait for him but I always do, and when it’s my turn to get left behind he would wait for me. In the local movie theatre, he would wait for me with extra ice cream on hand. I let the ice cream drip on his hand and he would get mad and threaten to never buying me another cone, but he always did. Every time I fell a little in love. So when I went back it just came back to me. It was like I didn’t leave, you know?”

Nico doesn’t. The closest he could think was his feelings for Percy, but he started with an admiration. Percy had been his ‘older brother’, his protector. He was strong, brave, handsome, ready to protect Nico from anything that would hurt him. Now every time he sees Percy all he could feel is regret. He will always treasure what he and Percy had shared, but he would always regret pursuing him because every time they look at each other in the eye, all Nico could see are sadness and sympathy.

And Jason. Nothing could ever compare how much damage he did to Jason. But Nico had met them when he was twelve, far older from Richie’s five.

“We didn’t lose touch when we all went home. I was like nothing has changed. We even have a group chat now,” Richie fumbled with his phone again and showed Nico their group chat. He scrolls it too fast in front of him but he sees names and pictures, it’s quite cute. “See? Here’s Bill’s dog, Bev’s latest collection, Stan’s wife’s lemon bars, Ben’s latest project, and Eddie’s lunch! “

Nico is surprised by Richie’s enthusiasm. Sure he’s seen him enthusiastic before but not like _this_. His eyes are shining and he’s all big grins soft smiles, so proud of his friends. It makes Nico wonder if he talked about him like this in front of his beloved childhood friends. If he’s special enough to be talked about with this much gusto by his ‘friends’.

He takes a sip from his glass. “You still haven’t answered my question, Rich.”

Richie’s face falls, he clears his throat and pockets his phone. “Eddie, uh, he told me he loved me.” He’s looking down at his untouched food, shoulders tensed and sweating bullets.

Nico honestly does not know what to feel about his confession. He’s been friends with Richie ever since they met about seven years ago. He knew about his feelings for his childhood friend, he knew about him being gay (albeit he never really told him, it’s more like intuition and maybe along the line, Richie just realized that Nico _knew_ what he was hiding), but aside from the bits and pieces of his past he’s told Nico throughout the years they’ve known each other, which is not a lot, everything else is news to him.

He isn’t mad at Richie for standing him up. He’s happy for him, truly, he’s irritated about the fact that he is not as lucky as Richie. That _he doesn’t have anything at all_.

Nico brushes the imaginary crumbs on his coat and pants while Richie patiently waits for a response. “I’m not mad at you, Rich,” Richie lets out a relieved sigh and smiles at him. “I’m glad the feelings are finally mutual and I assume you’re dating now.” Richie enthusiastically nods.

“Yeah, we are.”

“After the phone call?” Nico asks, dipping his fry on a mayonnaise. Richie grimaced.

“More like after the night ended.”

“Cool.”

The atmosphere finally eases and they eat in while Richie tells Nico what his childhood friends are up to. He finds out that three of his friends are somewhat famous (building names and reputation for themselves), and the other three are living their modest lives (the other one is also building his name and reputation in the Wall Street world).

“So what did you do?” Richie asks.

“Hm?” The apple pie he’s eating is still very much hot.

“I said, what did you do the other night after the phone call,” Richie repeats. “Did you go home?”

“What? Oh no, I had drinks with someone.” Nico confirms.

“Wow, Tesla. You work fast!”

“Too soon, you dick.” Nico throws a stray pie crust he gets from inside the box.

“Well, what’s he like?”

“Before you say anything, I don’t like him like that. But he’s fun to talk with. Kinda like you, but less annoying.”

“Nico di Angelo, Android 25, are you looking for me in every guy you see?” Richie teases.

Apparently, I do, Nico thinks.

\---

Night came in and finally, it’s time to go home. Nico declines an invite to a drinking party, preferring to stay indoors and cuddle with his dog, Mrs. O’Leary, on a Thursday night. He’s just about to get inside when his phone vibrates in his pocket.

_hey hows ur day?_ **8:12**

Fine. Did a lot of writing **8:15**

_what writers usually do yes_ **8:15**

You’re texting me to distract yourself from studying, yes? **8:17**

_omg how did u know??_ **8:18**

Idiot **8:18**

You wanna get distracted? **8:18**

[image attachment: mrs_oleary.jpeg] **8:18**

_OMFG!! U HAVE A DOG!!!!!!11!!_ **8:19**

Yes, I do. Her name is mrs. O’leary **8:20**

_a vry cute name 4 a very cute lady_ **8:21**

 _wanna show u smth too_ **8:21**

[image attachment: image94.jpeg] **8:22**

Is that a fucking lizard? **8:22**

_It is, it is. his name is carrot._ **8:23**

 _this is getting 2 hassle. can i facetime u?_ **8:23**

 _but if ur busy it’s fine_ **8:24**

Nico smiles to himself. It’s cute that he wanted Nico’s permission first.

Sure, why not. **8:25**

[incoming call: Will from the bar]

Nico accepts the call. He’s a bit surprised when his phone is filled with the blond curls, tanned face, and freckled nose of the stranger he met at the bar.

“Hey, Neeks!”

“Hey, dipshit. What made you call?”

“I wanna see your dog! Can I see your dog?”

“You wanna see my dog?”

“Hell yeah, I wanna see your dog! It’s been quite stressful today and I really needed a cheering up.” He pouted on screen and honestly, Nico wants to just fucking melt. But no one needs to know, right?

“Why, what happened?” Nico asks instead to prevent him from saying stuff like ‘you’re cute’ or whatever.

“Pharmacology is really kicking my ass. I don’t wanna talk about it.” He says, pouting some more. If Nico could stick his hand in his phone he would pinch Will’s cheek until it puffs.

“Alright, alright. I won’t ask any more questions. Here’s Mrs. O’Leary.” He walks to his living room to find his dog in front of the TV, wagging its tail. “Come here, girl.” He calls out, which earns him bark from her dog and a whoop from Will on the phone.

Will whistles, “Come here, girl! Mrs. O’Leary!” The dog finally snuggles to Nico and he clicks the camera back to him so Will could see both of them properly.

“Here’s my girl,” he says as Mrs. O’Leary lick his face.

“She’s so fucking cute, Neeks. I love her so much!” Will got a few tears in his eyes it almost makes Nico laugh.

“You’re really stressed out, huh?” He smiles at the camera unknowingly.

“You have no idea,” Will fumbles something on his phone because he looks a little bit dazed but he doesn’t call him out for it. He hears his phone vibrate after a few seconds. “But I think I’m feeling a little bit better now. So, thank you.” He gives Nico a soft smile, one that looks like ‘I’m really tired and upset but I’m glad that you did my dumb request’.

Will puts his phone down on a table, removes his shirt, and goes the retrieve a towel in his closet. Nico, still holding his dog, squeaks as he drops his phone on his lap. He immediately picks it up, “Is it hot in your dorm?”

“Hm? What’s that?” Will comes closer to the camera, his lean, tanned torso in full view in front of Nico. He could even see a freckle on his pec. He quickly darts his eyes in front of him, looking anywhere but his phone screen. When he hears Will clear his throat, he asks the question again.

“I asked if it’s hot in your dorm.”

“I’m not living in a dorm, but it’s kind of hot so I’m about to shower now. Do you wanna talk? I could bring the phone in the shower.” He says casually.

Nico panics to say no when his eyes darts back and sees Will on his boxers with a towel draped on his shoulders, so he screams instead. “No! No, I mean… I’m fine. I’m fine dropping the call and letting you shower.”

“Way too enthusiastic to say no, Neeks. I’m hurt. Nah, just kidding,” he picks up his phone again, thank god. “Before you go I want you to see my huge lizard.” He ruffles his blond locks, probably checking himself out in the camera. Nico blushes.

“Is that a euphemism?”

Will stops walking, “It’s not…” He waggles his eyebrows which makes Nico laugh. Fucking Christ, pull yourself together, di Angelo.

“I wanna see the reptile in your small terrarium.”

“Okey-dokey.” Will rushes to his terrarium and clicks the screen to flip the camera to his gecko. “His name is Carrot and he’s a carrot-tail viper gecko.” He taps the glass but the reptile just blinks its eyes.

“You’re very original,” Nico says.

“I know, right?” Will flips the camera back again and winks at him.

“Alright, alright. Imma let you go now, I still have to feed Mrs. O’Leary.”

“You got it, Neeks. See you tomorrow!” Will blows a kiss to the camera and ends the call.

Nico opens the message someone sent him in the middle of the call but sees it’s from Will. It’s a screenshot of Will’s wallpaper, it’s his face with Mrs. O’Leary’s tongue on his cheek.

He locks his phone, puts it in his pocket and releases and breath he doesn’t know he’s holding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably post the 3rd chapter on or before Saturday.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nico can be a hoe, as a treat.
> 
> He's 28 y.o. here he can be a hoe anytime he wants. I also changed the text formats for better comprehension on my part. I'm dumb.
> 
> I'm going to change this fic's rating into Mature now since I have 'good' plans for this. Now all that's left is writing it. Ugh.
> 
> DISCLAIMER!!!!!!! I have zero knowledge of how pre-production works or entertainment business in general. If you see something offensive or incorrect all throughout the series, please tell me so I could change it. But mostly, let's just pretend that that's how things work in New Rome.

Nico continues to text Will and write for the show he’s working on, a crime thriller series called ‘Purple Grave’. They’re about to shoot the third season in a few months and the executives have decided to introduce a new character to ‘spice things up’ or whatever it is they want. It’s good though, it’s always good to spice things up for the audience. Police procedural dramas usually get dragged in the mud for being too predictable, but Purple Grave is not a police procedural drama. It’s a crime thriller series, for god’s sake!

He also wants to do well for one of their leads, Paul Russel. He wasn’t the one who pitched the series to the big guys but the creator of the series approached him to write the script with them, and when they were done he only had one person in mind perfect to play a ‘sympathetic’ serial killer: Paul Russel. He instantly agreed after he’d read the script, and the rest, as they say, was history.

As for the lead actress of the show, Detective Quincy Santa Maria, the executives chose Venus McDowell, whom Nico believes one of the best actresses in her generation. It was perfect casting.

Now, on their third season they’re going to introduce a new recurring character; a uniformed officer, so far unnamed but going to be tailored to the person who gets the role, who’s the eyes and ears of Lester Perry (Paul Russel) inside the precinct. He reports to Lester all of Detective Santa Maria’s actions. The twist of the season, which will be revealed probably in the 5th episode, is that the uniformed officer and Lester are lovers. Or fuck buddies or whatever. They’re not limiting the gender or sexuality of the talents who could audition for the role to one. As a progressive millennial working in media, representation is one of Nico’s main goal. He’s not closeted per se, but his sexuality is nobody else’s business. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want representation for other brats too.

Growing up, he never saw ‘himself’ on TV. It’s either a ‘mafia boss’ or the ‘comic relief’. Damn, he couldn’t even get a mafia boss who’s also a comic relief, which would’ve been cool, by the way. But now, here he is, after working his ass off, writing for the big leagues. He could put whatever shit he wants in his work and a network or a cable company would practically throw their money at him to have the right to air it. And he has ‘veteran’ friends (writers and actors) who would back him up if a network tries to do anything that could potentially change the story he made.

As for the talent who will be getting the role, they should be comfortable with getting intimate with Paul Russel, since they’re going to be shooting sex scenes.

He had met Paul Russel when he was still bringing coffees and contacting caterers as a PA, just like everyone else who worked in the industry. He admired everything about him; his work ethics, charisma, talent, and when he finally met him, his personality. He would say that Paul was one of his first actor crushes when he was young.

They’ve ‘sorta’ worked together for about three times now, but this is their first project together where Nico could directly interact with him. They’re not close, but Paul knows his name and sometimes talks to him about the stuff he’s writing so he guesses they could be considered as ‘work friends’ or whatever. He’d take whatever he could get.

“Hey, Nico! How’s the writing going?” Paul hugs Nico from behind which almost made him shriek and drop this coffee.

“Hi, Mr. Russel, it’s going on well.” Nico leans to his side so he could properly see Paul who’s still clinging to his shoulders.

“Please, I’ve told you before, call me Apollo. I only reserve ‘Paul’ to journalists and random people. We’ve worked what, five times now? You’ve earned the privilege to call me by my birth name.”

“Three,” Nico whispers to himself, “Okay, ‘Apollo’, the writing is going really well. By the end of the week we’re going to see what you think about the scenes with your uniformed officer lover and if you want to change something else. Zack will be there, and a few others, of course.” He explains.

Apollo crosses his arms, “Hmm, I have a standing appointment with my son this weekend so I don’t know if I could. Wait, lemme check on him first,” he fishes his phone out from his pocket and starts tapping on his phone, most likely constructing a text. He taps his foot for a few moments, then a soft ping of a text. He reads it and smiles. “Okay, I could do this weekend but only for a few hours. My son doesn’t really have that much free time these days.” He taps Nico’s shoulders then walks away. “See you around, di Angelo!”

Nico feels his face grow hot a little bit.

\----

“Hey, what are you up to?” He asks Will. Nico is slumped from work so he calls Will instead. They haven’t facetime-d again since the first time, Nico doesn’t know why but he likes the calls better since facetime-ing puts more pressure for him, and maybe Will too because they have to keep pointing the camera to themselves, with calls he could just put his phone in his pocket and do his chores around his house.

“Hm? I’m just chilling. Eating Cheetos in the dark, listening to whale sounds, stuff like that.”

“You have a weird way of chilling. Why are you eating Cheetos in the dark?”

“I have a human structure and function exam tomorrow. I’m relaxing my mind.”

“What?! You have an exam tomorrow but you still accepted my call? Are you out of your mind?!”

“Stop screaming I can’t hear my whale sounds. I’m done studying, yesterday. I don’t perform well under pressure so I try to study at least a week then chill the night before the test.”

“Wow, I wish I had that attitude in college. Wait, are you still in college? We’ve been talking for like two months now but you still haven’t told me much. I know you’re still studying to be a doctor or whatever, but I still don’t know if you’re still an undergrad or you’re already in doctor school or whatever the fuck you call that school for doctors.”

Will guffaws on the other side that Nico almost tears his earphones off, “You’re hilarious, Neeks. I’m already in med school. I’m done with my undergrad studies.”

“So, if you’re already in med school that would make you, what 22-26 years old?” he asks, counting his fingers. God, he’s so stupid in math.

“More or less.” He says, his voice muffled from the food inside his mouth.

“Oh god, you’re younger than me?”

“I thought you already know that when we first met.”

“Yeah, but I thought only by a year or two, not six!”

“What? Get off my dick, so you’re born a few years before me. That doesn’t change anything, I still wanna go down on you.”

“Jesus, Will. Stop saying that.”

“What? That I wanna go down with you? It’s true. But I can wait.” Will says casually like he’s telling Nico about the dog he’s seen on the sidewalk. It irritates Nico to no end. It’s been two months since he got ‘dumped’ and he’s over it (thank fuck), so now he desperately wants to **fuck**. The only problem is he couldn’t since he’s so busy with the new recurring character they’re currently working on and setting up a casting call. He knows it’s the casting director’s job but this recurring character is his baby. Reyna, one of the showrunners, specifically asked him (since he’s the head writer) to write a new character per _Zack and the gang_ ’s orders. He’s so stressed a little release would do wonders for his mind and soul.

Will is not helping, either. Since the past month, he keeps sending Nico pictures of him doing stuff like cooking or running **WHILE** topless, sometimes even sweating. He’s obviously on a run but, come on! He didn’t have to see that kitten getting cradled by his large (shimmering with a thin film of perspiration) arms!

“Shut up, dude. I have to go now. I still have shit to do.” He says.

“Are you going to jack off?” Will asks immediately.

“Oh my god, shut up! You can’t ask me that!” Nico hangs up as he hears Will laughing on the other side.

\----

The restaurant isn’t that crowded and the weather’s perfect so he sits outside to edit some more before showing his work to the _gang_ tomorrow. He spots a large man wearing a sweater vest, pants, and nothing else, not even a scarf. Frank, of course he’s just wearing a sweater vest. Canadians and their winter. He lifts an arm to let them know where he’s seated.

“Nico! It’s been so long!” Hazel squeals as she kisses his brother’s cheek.

He claps Frank’s shoulder which the other one returned with a one-armed hug. “Don’t be so dramatic, it’s only been five days since we last saw each other.” He says.

“She’s excited about the broadway production, apparently.”

“Oh, shush Frank,” She swats Frank’s arm, “As if you’re not included in the production, Mr. Hercules.” Frank blushes. It’s fun to see his sister’s boyfriend getting all flustered.

Hazel looks back to Nico, ”Yes, yes, I am! Our production starts next month and I just can’t wait!”

They talk while eating, just like they always do. Bitching about their coworkers, their works, even though they love what they do. It’s just healthy to talk shit about your bosses and coworkers every once in a while to your sibling.

“So,” Hazel starts after Nico ended his story about one of the interns almost deleting an entire episode’s worth of writing. “How’s your boy toy?” she asks, a Cheshire cat-like grin on her face.

“Ugh, how many times have I told you he’s not my boy toy! Or boylet, manlet, toyboy, candyboi, or boycycle!”

Hazel laughs so hard Nico’s pretty sure he heard the people seated behind them drop a spoon on the ground and the waiter passing by jump. Frank, the traitor, snickers but covers his mouth immediately before any of the crepes he’s eating come flying out. “How do you remember any of those terms?”

“They’re ridiculous, that’s why.”

“So you’re not talking anymore?” Hazel raises her eyebrow in question.

“… no,” he mumbles.

“What’s that?” Hazel asks again.

“I said no,”

“No, as in you’re not talking anymore, or no, as in you’re still talking every night and him still hitting on you?”

“No,” he says, shoving a spoonful of fruits in his mouth to avoid talking.

“Answer my question, Niccolo, I’m not grossed out by people talking with their mouths full, you know that.”

“Stop calling me that, that’s way fucking worse than when he calls me Robin,” He tears a small piece of pastry and throws it at Hazel and Frank.

“Hey, I’m innocent!” Frank protests.

“Shut up, you’re a package deal now, deal with it.” Nico picks on his parfait.

“But seriously, though. How is he?”

“He’s fine. He has anatomy exams today,” he sighs and takes a spoonful of the parfait. It’s delicious. “And he did it again.”

He can see from his peripheral vision that Hazel’s big dumb smile is on again, beaming at him and Frank.

“Neeks!!!” She squeals again. Nico plugs his ears with his fingers. “What did he saaaaayy!!!” she pounds the table repeatedly.

“Frank, control my sister! Please!” he says Frank.

“Nooo! I’m with her on this! What did he say?!” Frank puts down his half-eaten crepes and gives his attention to Nico.

“Ugh, fine! Jesus you two.” He rolls his eyes gets his phone out from his messenger bag. He scrolls for a bit and gives it to Hazel, which she hurriedly accepts. She moves so Frank could see properly.

****

Will’s flirting escalated a few weeks ago when he accidentally sent him a message that was meant for one of his friends, Connor. If it were literally anything else, Nico wouldn’t be worried that much, but as shitty his luck may have had, it was a screenshot of a black dildo he asked Connor to buy for him. Nico was talking to both of them at the same time and just as he was about to reply to Connor, he found the picture he was looking for, took a screenshot of it, and went back to the messages. He didn’t notice that Connor’s name was already under Will’s name, so he unknowingly sent the picture of an 11-inch dildo to the wrong man.

 **Connor S.**  
found what u like? **22:43**

 **Me**  
Yeah, I already sent it **22:43**

 **Connor S.**  
no u didnt **22:44  
**i didnt receive anything **22:44**

 **Me**  
You sure? **22:44**

 **Connor S.**  
pretty positive **22:45**

 **Me**  
Aw fuck wait **22:45  
**HOLY SHIT I SENT IT TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!!!1!!111!! **22:46**

 **Connor S.**  
lmaoooooooooo 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 **22:47**

**[incoming call: Will from the bar]**

“Shit shit shit shit!!” Nico says out loud. He hits receive.

“Hey, Neeks!”

“Heey, Will. What’s up? Why’d you call? Don’t you have important med student stuff going on? Don’t you have exams to take and whatnot?”

“Haha, yeah I do, actually. Listen, did you perhaps sent me an alarmingly accurate image of a human male’s cock? That is if the said human male is 9 feet tall?”

“OH MY GOD, THAT WAS NOT FOR YOU PRETEND YOU DID NOT SEE THAT HOLY FUCK!”

“Oh, so who’s it for? Your boyfriend?” Will asks curiosity bleeds in his voice.

“No! That’s for my friend! He’s ordering shit and,” quick, think of a lie! “He asked me for good models and some shit.” Phew, saved!

“So you’re a dildo connoisseur now? Suggesting quality dildos for your friends and family?”

“Shut up! I am not a dildo connoisseur!”

“Alright, alright, I’m just asking. No need to get all so defensive.”

“I’m not! I’m really just helping him!”

“But why though? I’m not judging, that’s a good dildo; 11 inches, it’s long but not too long, and from the looks of it not too thick, just right. I could see myself using it, yeah.”

Nico chokes on his spit. What the hell? What the hell? What the hell is going on? Is Will gay? What the fuck?? It’s too much information for his too tired brain. Does he ask him? No, it’s rude. Does he assume? Is it even alright to assume? What the fuck what the fuck what the fuuuuck!

“Nico, are you okay? You’ve been quiet for quite a while now. Do I call EMT? Are you choking? Shit.” Will says.

Shit. “No, I’m fine! I’m fine! No need to call the EMT. I just choked on my spit.”

“Are you sure? You don’t sound like you’re blowing someone else in there.”

WHAT THE FUCK!!!! “No, you fucking idiot! I just choked on my spit just like literally everyone else!” Nico’s face is completely red by now.

“That’s good to hear. Well, I have to go now, I still have a test to study. You should buy that dildo, though. It’s good to have some kind of release, I know I do. I just do something else, if you know what I mean. Bet you look real hot riding it. Okay, byeeee!” Will drops the call.

Nico locks his phone and throws it on the bed. He lies down on his bed, ignoring the slight tenting of his lounge shorts, and covers his mouth to scream. He couldn’t believe he got a little turned on from that.

A week later, Will sends him a text.

 **Will from the bar** _  
_ did u use it already? **22:19**

He did, the night before.

Nico throws his phone so hard in his bed it bounces off, almost falling to the floor.

****

“Oh my god, Nico! Are these all from last week?” she scrolls his gallery, clicks on something, and continues to scroll. “They are all shirtless pictures! Literally!” she shoves a picture of a shirtless Will in the gym to his face. Will sent that four days ago.

“Yeah, I know. It’s fucking annoying.”

“Why don’t you just fuck him?” Frank says. Nico turns his head to him so fast he hears a crack. Hazel does the same, only with a scandalized look in her eyes. “What? I’m just saying.”

“Francis Simon Zhang, what the fuck? Watch your fucking mouth, goddammit!” Nico says, still shocked by what Frank said. Oh my god Will broke Frank!

“Oh my god, see what you’ve done? Your boycycle broke my boyfriend!” She cradles Frank’s face while both of them are laughing. “But seriously, he’s right. Just fuck ‘im.”

“Are you insane? I won’t fucking do that! I just met him like, two months ago.”

“And? That didn’t stop you from doing it before. Remember that Christopher guy from last year? That Ben guy last November? Jake—”

“Yeah, yeah, I remember. Don’t enumerate them.”

“He’s been flirting with you ever since you started talking and from the looks of it, it won’t stop anytime soon,” Frank says, pausing only to sip his juice and takes a bite from his crepe, “What I’m saying is, you two might really hit it off. You could go on a date or something. Give him a chance.”

“Or just meet again for a brunch like this, or coffee, or even drinking. You might never know.” Hazel adds.

“Guys, he’s still in school. He’s younger than I am. Hell, he’s even younger than Hazel!”

“So?” Frank asks.

“It’s weird.” He finally admits. It is weird.

“No, it’s not. Say, you like someone older, and they kind of like you back. You talk every day, you even go on a date once,” Nico interrupts Hazel to say ‘it wasn’t a date’. “Shut up, brother. You go on a date once, you’re flirting, yadda yadda, then he ghosts you because he doesn’t want to date someone ‘younger’ than him.”

“Pbbt that’s absurd. I’m an adult.”

“Exactly,” Hazel waves his hands around, “He’s an adult, you’re an adult, you’re both adults. If you date literally no one would bat an eye!”

“FINE!” He says exasperatedly, “I’ll ask him out for a drink or whatever.”

Both Frank and Hazel says ‘nice’ at the same time and give each other high fives.

\----

**Me**  
You wanna go out for a drink tonight? My treat **19:04**

 **Will from the bar  
**tonight? like tonight tonight? **19:05**

 **Me  
**Yes, tonight tonight. Your anatomy exam is done, right? **19:05**

 **Will from the bar  
**yeah yeah def. where do u want to go? **19:07**

 **Me  
**I’ll text you the name and the address. Get ready in 10 **19:08**

 **Will from the bar  
**literally cant wait. see u **19:08**

Nico pockets his phone and changes into his soft, low neckline shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥♥♥
> 
> I got excited and made this chapter 3k+ lol
> 
> Name Guide for the Human Name of the Gods in this Story:
> 
> ♦ Zeus - Zack Ramirez  
> ♦ Hera - Helen Ramirez  
> ♦ Poseidon - Patrick Jackson  
> ♦ Apollo - Apollo Solace (screen name: Paul Russel)  
> ♦ Artemis - Artemis Solace (screen name: Timmy Dunn)  
> ♦ Ares - Arthur Perrie  
> ♦ Demeter - Dina Gardner  
> ♦ Hephaestus - Harold Smith (see what I did? lol)  
> ♦ Athena - Miranda Yeun  
> ♦ Hestia - Harriet Lucas  
> ♦ Dionysius - Mr. D  
> ♦ Hades - Henry di Angelo


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will goes drinking with Nico.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A surprise Will chapter! I'm going to write at least two of this in the future.

Will stuffs his phone in his pocket after replying to Nico’s message and bolts outside his room. “Cecil! Cecil! Oh, hi Lou Ellen. Cecil!” His eyes searching for his friend but instead finds another one. “Cecil!”

“Scream some more so you’re whole apartment complex hears you! Jesus, Will, calm down.”

“Nico! It’s Nico! He asked me to have drinks with him you have to come with me!” Will demands.

“What? Fuck that. I wanna stay in and sleep. My brain’s recovering from the exam.”

“I swear Cecil if you come with me I’ll pay for your dinner the whole week!”

Cecil pretends to think, “Interesting offer…” Will looks at him with the best ‘sad face’ he could produce, “Okay. I’m in.”

“Yes!” Will whoops.

“Didn’t you wanna get on with him? It sounds like he asked you on a date, why do you want me to come?” Cecil pauses the game he’s playing with Lou Ellen which earns him a ‘hey!’ from his friend.

“I can’t be alone with him, you know that!”

“Yeah, but why?”

“Yeah, Wilhelm, why?” Lou Ellen parrots.

“Because I’ve been wanting to stick my tongue down his throat since I was 17! Are any of you listening every time I talk about him?”

“Then why do you want me to go with you, dude?! You can kiss him when I’m not there!” The three of them are in a shouting match now. Trying to upstage each other’s voices. 

“Because I don’t want to be alone with him until he likes me back!” Cecil and Lou Ellen instantly shut their mouths. “I thought I was over him because there’s no fucking way he would look at me, but now it’s been 7 years! I’m two years away from graduating med school, and I know that’s not enough to prove myself to him, but I actually have a chance!” Will takes a deep breath, “I just want to be enough the next time I stay in a room alone with him.”

His friends consider him some more before Cecil talks again, “Alright. I’m in. Lou Ellen, you wanna come? I don’t wanna be the third wheel in their weird mating ritual.”

“Yeah, sure. I could use some drinks.” She says. Cecil rises from the floor to change. Will does the same, leaving Lou Ellen to save their game and unplug the console and TV.

Both of them emerge from their rooms a few minutes later, Will wearing his a jacket over a button-up and a shirt, while Cecil, his leather jacket over a long-sleeved blue shirt.

“Let’s go.” Lou Ellen says as the three of them leave the boys’ apartment.

Nico texts Will the name and address of the bar while they’re in the car. The place is only 10 minutes away, no time for a freak-out for Will.

Will spots Nico first. He’s wearing an all-black ensemble, just like he always sees in the pictures he sometimes (rarely) sends. He’s seated at one of the booths in front of the bar and already drinking a bottle of beer. He calls out when they’re close, “Hey, Deathboy!”

Nico’s in the middle of drinking when he sees them. His eyes widen, shock and another emotion he couldn’t name fast enough flash in them, before relaxing. He sputters, a few drops of beer escaping his mouth. He wipes it off with the back of his hand. Cute, Will thinks. His eyes linger on the pale skin of Nico’s incredibly low neckline. He’s so fucking hot, holy shit. Thank god Lou Ellen and Cecil are with him.

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind. I brought two of my friends with me,” he says when they’re close enough. He gestures at Cecil, “This is Cecil,” Cecil gives him a short nod. “And that’s Lou Ellen.” She gives him a wave.

“We’re in med school with Will,” Lou Ellen says.

“Uh, yeah. I… gathered that” Nico smirks at her and shifts his attention to Will, “I thought you didn’t have friends?”

“Har har,” He gestures for his friends to sit on the other side of the booth while he grabs a chair and places it beside the table, leaving the seat beside Nico empty. Nico gives it a quick look.

Will bites his lower lip, unsure how to start the conversation, “Well, what are you drinking?” he decides to ask. Lame.

“It’s,” Nico looks at his unlabeled bottle, “I don’t know. The barman says it’s a new product.”

“A homebrew?” Cecil asks.

“Maybe. I don’t recommend it, though. Tastes like shit.” He drinks everything in a few gulps.

“So,” Lou Ellen starts after it’s gotten a little quiet for a little too long, “anybody wants a normal beer? I’m gonna get a bucket, Cecil help me?” She says sweetly. Yuck, he’s never heard Lou Ellen sound like that before. Too sweet, too fake, all smiles, and eyes screaming ‘I’m uncomfortable and I regret this’.

They leave to the bar, leaving him and Nico alone. “Everything alright, Neeks?” He asks to fill the unusual silence. It isn’t typically like this. They usually talk a lot and have a lot to talk about. Why is it weird tonight?

“Me, I’m fine. Maybe just a little stressed. I have a meeting tomorrow to workshop a script for our lead actor. We’re arranging a casting call in two weeks and we’ll start shooting about two months from now. ”

“Phew, that’s rough. Is it rough? I don’t really know how things work pre-production,” he says, and he’s not lying. He tried to know the ropes when he’s still convinced he should enter the entertainment business. After he set his heart out on being a doctor, all the mechanics and knowledge about being in entertainment had faded away.

“Yeah,” Nico groans, “Tell me about it. The executives and showrunners will be there. The only writing staff who’ll be there are me and my co-head writer.”

“Eugh, sounds really rough. You can do it, deathboy, I believe in you.” He says, slapping Nico’s shoulders gently.

Nico huffs a bit of air, “I don’t need your encouragement because I’m excellent at my job, but thanks. Appreciate it.”

Will cocks his head to the side, like a bow, and smiles at Nico.

Lou Ellen and Cecil come back with a bucket of beer, a bucket of ice, and some glasses. One of the waiters brings a plate of chilli con carne on a bed of fries and tortilla chips with various dips. The four of them, especially Nico to the other two, overcome the initial awkwardness, and starts talking and sharing stories, like old friends meeting again. They drink and eat until they couldn’t anymore. Nico shows them a picture of Mrs. O’Leary and laughs so loud when Lou Ellen almost cries.

Will knows he's drunk. He knows he’s drinking yet he still brought his car. His apartment is only 10 minutes away, when Nico goes home they could hang around in a convenience store parking lot to sober up, he decides. Speaking of Nico, Will couldn’t take his eyes off the other man. He wants to touch him, even just feel the warmth from his shoulders. He almost regrets not sitting beside Nico but it’s for the best. Flirting on phone is totally different from flirting face to face, right? It should be.

Cecil is still talking about his childhood pet when Nico’s alarm goes off. “Ah shoot, I have to go now.” He says, groaning. He gestures for the bill and gives the waitress his credit card and some bills for the tip.

“Aw, man! Tomorrow’s Saturday!” Lou Ellen complains, “stay for a while longer!”

“I can’t. I have an important meeting tomorrow,”

“Ugh, adults. Alright, go go go, before I ask Will to drag you back to your seat. He does whatever I want,” Lou Ellen reaches out to tangle her fingers into Will’s. Nico eyes their intertwined hands but Will doesn’t think much about it, his brain still a tad bit foggy with alcohol.

“See you around, guys. Don’t drive,” he rises from his seat, ruffles Will’s hair, and pinches his right cheek. **Hard**.

“Ow!” Will holds Nico’s hand to remove it from his face.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he says, then walks away.

When Nico is more than an earshot away, Cecil blurts out, “What the fuck was that, dude?! Did he just pinch your cheeks?” The three of them leave the bar, Lou Ellen laughing the whole way while Will confesses his flirting with Nico, to go to the nearest 7/11. Will buys a whole gallon of ice cream, spoons, and chips. They share it in an empty parking lot.

“Am I still drunk or did you just say you told him _you wanna do him_?” Lou Ellen asks in a mouthful of Rocky Road ice cream.

“I did, I did. It’s fucking corny, I know!” Will scoops a huge chunk, puts it on a chip, and shoves it in his mouth. Cecil and Lou Ellen roar with laughter.

“Man, you could have just said you wanna suck his dick! ‘Do you’ that’s so fucking juvenile! What are you, 12?” Cecil cackles while Lou Ellen chokes on her chips laughing.

“You two are the fucking worst!” Will giggles.

They all pretty much sobered up after an hour so they go back to where Will parked his car and went on their way. They drop Lou Ellen first before going back to their place.

“Hey, man,” Cecil says before Will could go inside his room.

“What’s up?”

Cecil pulls out bills in his pocket and gives it to him, “My rent for this month,” he says.

“Aw man, I told you it’s fine! You already do the groceries, you don’t have to pay rent to my dad.” Will insists.

“I’ve been living here for a year for free, Will. I don’t pay anything, not water, not power, not the internet. And we have shit diet, we only ever eat pizza and Cheetos. I feel like I’m taking advantage of your dad’s money or something.” Cecil’s voice is small, clearly embarrassed by his living situation.

“Dude, trust me, you’re not taking advantage of anything. Honestly, if only everybody would agree, we should just all live together in one house. Let my parents pay for everything. We’ll just focus on our studies. You know they love you all. You, Lou Ellen, Malcolm, even Katie.” Will hands back Cecil’s money then continues, “Not to brag but they have a lot of money, and my brothers are still practically babies.”

Cecil gently laughs at this, “I know you mean well, man, but that’s too much. I really appreciate it, though. Thanks.” Cecil scrunches the bills and shoves them back to his pocket. “Say hi to your dad from me, alright?” He gives Will a one-armed hug and goes back to his room.

“Sure thing. Good night.” Will smiles.

Will pulls out his phone and texts Nico.

 **Me**  
just got home. u still up? **00:13**

 **Knee-koh  
**Unfortunately, yes. But I’m already in bed. **00:15**

 **Me  
**can i facetime u? **00:15**

Nico takes a few moments to reply. It feels like an hour.

 **Knee-koh  
**Sure **00:17**

**[Knee-koh FaceTime…]**

Once Nico’s face appears on his screen, Will almost hitches a breath when he sees him, obviously on his side, looking soft and adorable from sleepiness. He probably propped his phone on a pillow or a bedside table since he’s clearly not holding his phone.

“Hey, Neeks.” He greets then clears his throat. “Got home in one piece?”

“Hey yourself,” Nico smiles lazily. Will’s heart swells. “Yeah, about 30 minutes ago.”

“Big day tomorrow, huh?”

“Yeah, really huge.”

“Well, just called to check on you and tell you good luck!” He smiles awkwardly at the camera, Nico looks so adorable he can hardly think properly. Is it possible he’s still drunk?

“Thanks, Will,” he yawns. “I think imma shut my eyes now if that’s alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Good night, Neeks. Break a leg tomorrow!” He gives Nico a thumbs up.

“Thanks again. Good night, Will.” Nico gives him a short wave and drops the call.

Ahh, he really likes Nico.

\----

 **  
** “How was your week, Wilhelm?” his dad teases, “Any fellas or ladies I should know about?” he waggles his eyebrows at him.

Will rolls his eyes, “No, dad. There’s no ‘fella’ or ‘lady’ that _you_ should know about.” He quickly grabs a menu and pretends to read it, even though his dad already knows what he wants.

“Hm, just checking. After all, as your landlord, I should know who’s going in and out of my property,” He grins at him playfully, drinking his sparkling water.

“Ugh dad, that apartment is literally under my name. Mom gave it to me, not you. If anything I should be reporting to her.” He snaps at him, but not really, he’s just embarrassed since people are starting to notice that he’s on a late lunch with **THE** Apollo Solace a.k.a. Paul Russel, which he’s widely known.

Moments later, sure enough, three teenage girls approach his dad to ask for a picture. He agrees, of course, he doesn’t refuse pictures as long as 1) they ask him properly and respectfully and 2) they’re teenage girls and boys, also moms and dads, everyone. He doesn’t refuse pictures **AT ALL** (except when he’s running late for something, which is **extremely** rare).

They leave after getting a bunch of selfies (his dad making silly faces in the insistence of the girls) and at least 5 Snapchat shoutouts and birthday greetings. His dad looked like he had fun, though.

“How was your thing at work?” he asks, shoving a slice of gourmet pizza in his mouth.

“It was good. The headwriters did a really great job. I’m excited to know who my new work spouse is,” his dad giggles, “We finished the script, the executives approved it, the showrunners loved it, I loved it, and we’re starting the casting call next week.”

Say all you want about Apollo Solace but he really loves his work. Being in front of the camera, really, but if given a good script and discussed properly, he would almost literally work for free.

“Good, good,” he says. “So based on the speed of things and the finale of the second season, you’ll start filming in…” Will trails off, trying to remember when the season finale aired, “two months?”

“Yep. The table read is on February 22nd,” his dad says after slurping an oyster.

“Why are you eating oyster in the middle of the afternoon?” Will makes a face at his dad’s slurping noises.

“Huh? Oh, your mom and I have a date tonight,”

“Isn’t she in Reno right now?”

“Yeah, she is. Imma head straight there after this.”

“Why? She’s literally about to finish her tour in 3 days.”

“Yeah, but a date night’s a date night. It’s tradition. Plus if I show up tonight I know I’m gonna get laid,” his dad waggles his eyebrows again, giving him a mischievous full-smile.

“Ew, dad! Gross! You don’t have to tell me! Ew, ew, ew!” he fakes a gag and gulps down his coke.

“You asked, and you know that honesty is very important in this family,”

“Ugh you’re so gross!”

“Finish your food or I’m going start telling you about your mom and my sex life,” Apollo wipes his mouth and asks for the bill from the nearby waitress.

“Ugh you’re so disgusting!” Will picks on his food.

“The first time your mom and I had sex—”

“ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! Fuck,” he shoves another slice in his mouth.

His dad hugs him goodbye (threatening him with another story of their youth if he doesn’t hug him back) and drives away, apparently to Reno. He thinks about the things he should do next. When he couldn’t think of any, he decides to watch a movie. It’s his free time after all. He doesn’t have any urgent assignments, and he’s caught up in his reading, even a bit early if you ask him, so a movie it is.

He brings back two boxes of pizza for dinner since it’s the weekend, which means they surely have company, and he’s right. He comes in and sees Cecil, Lou Ellen, Malcolm, even Katie, and Sherman, in their living room playing Cards Against Humanity and Halo.

“Hey guys,” he greets, “having fun?”

“Yeah, we are,” Katie stands up to helps him with the pizza, “You should join us.”

Cecil and Lou Ellen holler for him to join.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Let me just reheat these real quick,” he opens the box, transfers the pizza on baking pans, and puts the pizza inside. Katie sets the alarm for him. “Thanks,” he says.

“Hm, don’t mention it,” She leans back to the kitchen counter, “How’s your dad?”

“He’s fine. He’s on his way to Reno right now,” he plays with the hem of his hoodie behind him. It’s not that he doesn’t want to talk to Katie but he’s in a weird mood after watching the movie. Plus it’s only been six months since they broke up. Sure, they hang around sometimes, but it’s always with friends, just like now. But it’s the first time Katie cornered him like this and and—

“Are we okay, Will?” she says, cutting off his train of thought.

“Huh?”

“Are we okay? Because we haven’t really spent time with each other since,” she leans closer to him. Close enough that she’s inside his personal space, but not enough for it to be suspicious if their friends were to see them.

“Psh, what do you mean?” he turns his back away from her, pretending to check the pizza, “we’re together all the time.”

He hears Katie let out a sigh, “I know you, Wilhelm. You’re avoiding me.” She crosses her arms.

“What? No, that’s nonsense.”

“Your voice gets high when you’re uncomfortable. And you sound like you just breathed in a lungful of helium.”

Will clears his throat and makes a conscious attempt to make his voice deeper, “No, I don’t.”

“I just want for us to be okay, Will. Just like before,”

“No offense, Kates, but we were together before.”

“Don’t sass me, Will. I mean before we dated. Friends. We were best friends before we dated.”

“Yeah, and then you kissed me, we started dating, then you cheated on me.”

“It’s not…” Katie studies him carefully, clearly choosing the words she’s going to say, “I told you I’m not gonna do it again but you didn’t give me a chance.”

“Once was enough, Kates.”

“And I get it, that’s why I didn’t insist. We’ve been friends before, why can’t we do it again?”

“I don’t know, Kates,” he hesitates.

“What’s 7 years of friendship over 2 years of dating, right?” She gently rubs her hand on Will’s left shoulder.

“A lot, actually, first, emotional connection. Second, sex. Third—”

“I know, I know. But please, Will? You owe me a friendship,” she smiles at him sweetly and he could feel his reluctance crumble around him.

Will gives Katie a quick once-over before deciding she’s sincere enough. He gives her a short hug, “Okay.”

Katie hugs him back, “That’s all I ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me on [tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask)!
> 
> P.S. I know Will's canon name is William, I just thought it would be funny if his real name is really Wilhelm. Imagine Nico's face when he finds out it's Wilhelm Solace. And I just made Hazel call Nico "Niccolo" in the previous chapter just for the heck of it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post only 1 chapter and post earlier than usual because I am still going to proofread the shit out the 6th chapter since it is a helluva mess.

Nico gets a FaceTime call from Will at 9 in the evening. It’s been almost two months since his meeting with executives and Apollo about the script. Reyna and Thalia absolutely loved it _, Zack and The Gang_ okayed it. After Apollo made a few changes in his script, they got the green light for the casting call.

Now they finally, finally have cast someone for the uniformed officer role. Unfortunately, the best they could find was a straight actress. Apollo liked her enough and she could keep up with him. Helen, Zack’s wife, watched her perform a little bit as she came back in for more interviews and she seemed fine with her, so they hired her.

Tomorrow is the table read and is nervous as fuck. Even the Stolls are nerved and they don’t exactly get the jitters in the job.

He’s too tired for a chit-chat (and he has to get to the studio tomorrow to have an early start) because he’s been so busy these past three days, but he wants to talk to Will too. He clicks answer.

“Hey, deathboy.”

“Hey, idiot,” he yawns.

“ _Eughk_ , you look tired.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Nico rubs his eyes and tries to prop himself up on his elbows.

“No, no, it’s fine. You can lie down if you want.” Will smiles.

“Thanks. I’m just so tired,”

“I take it tomorrow’s gonna be hectic?”

“It surely is. We’ll finally start production tomorrow. We have the new cast already and if everything goes well tomorrow we’ll head right on principal photography.”

“Nice, but you sound really tired, though. Imma let you go now. I just called to see if you got home already,” He blows a kiss to his phone which made Nico smile a little bit. “Goodnight!”

“Night.”

Nico sleeps like a baby.

\-----

“Connor! Travis! Where. Is. The new girl?! We’re about to start in a few minutes! Everyone is here!” Reyna snarls at the siblings. Nico gets out of her way immediately but still staying within earshot, just in case she needs him or something.

“Fuck if we know. She knows today is the table read. I can't do jack shit if she decides to be late today.” Travis turns to his brother, “Did you talk to her agent?”

“Yeah, the other day. Delilah said she’ll be here.” Connor shrugs.

“Oh my fucking god!” Reyna massages her temples and goes to Thalia, “I don’t think she’s coming.”

“Fuck, what do we do?” Thalia breathes out an exasperated sigh behind Nico. He pours himself some coffee.

“Nico. Hey, Nico!” Reyna calls him.

“What?”

“Can you read for Nyssa today? She’s running late and I’m not even sure if she’s coming. Please?” Reyna says. She’s not exactly pleading type but for Reyna, this is basically begging on her knees.

“Uh, are you sure? I don’t have any experience in acting. I mean, if you include being extra in Bi-someone’s old movies and the 5 voice acting I did, I guess I have experience,” he says, sweat breaking through his scalp.

“That’s good enough. Just today, Nico. I swear to god if she doesn’t contact the Stolls within an hour she’s out of the fucking show.” Reyna grits her teeth.

“Oh my god,” he whispers to himself, “Fuck. Alright. I’ll tell the Stolls to contact Reimi’s agent, see if he’s still available for the role. Imma head to Leo to tell him he’s reading my parts.”

“Okay. You do that, buddy. Thank you so much.” Reyna plants a kiss on Nico’s forehead as she goes on her way, probably talk to the executives and network bosses.

“Lei! Leo!” he hisses.

“What? Wait, I’m still eating.” Leo chews on his sandwich faster.

“You’re reading my part of the table read,”

“What?! Are you crazy? I write things, I don’t read them! I’m a shit reader!”

“Tough luck, bitch. Do you want to read Nyssa’s part or mine? I can’t let Grover read, he needs to focus listening to the actors!”

“Oh hell no. Yours. I pick yours. Definitely yours. Aw man, I can’t eat anymore. I lost my appetite.” He drops his sandwich and downs his juice in one go.

“Alright, alright. Go tell Reyna you’re doing my original part. I’m going to Grover,” he says, walking away.

He asks the Stolls about Grover’s whereabouts, “He’s in the toilet, I think,” Connor says, to which Nico mumbles a hurried _thanks_.

“Grover! I can’t help you listen today. Reyna asked me to read for Nyssa, she’s running late. Will you ask Valentina and Charles to help you instead?” Nico quickly asks.

“Yeah, man, sure,” Grover says immediately. Nico claps him on the shoulders before beelining to the Stolls again.

“Travis, Travis! Who are taking pictures and video today?” He shakes Travis, he must look like a catatonic bitch right now, worrying about things that are **literally not his job**. He couldn’t help it, this show is important to Reyna and Thalia, and he also poured blood and sweat in this. 

Nico takes a glance at his watch. Shit, 10 minutes left. He has to go sit on the table. What the fuck, his hands are sweating. Shit, he’s going to stain the script with his sticky hands. It’s literally been more than a decade since he last ’acted’ or ‘read with feelings’ or whatever. Shit shit shit. He wrote this thing, it can’t be that hard, right? He’s just going to read with feelings. _With feelings_. How the fuck do you read with feelings? Nico doesn’t know! His brain is melting **what the fuck.** It’s just a table read. It’s just a table read. It’s just. A. Table. Read.

“Alright everybody, let’s sit down, please. Thank you!” Travis calls out from everyone in the room. Nico sits down on Nyssa's chair while Leo, still looking at him nervously, takes his original seat.

He takes a deep breath. It’s just a table read.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, executives, bosses of Netflix. My name is Thalia Grace, and together with my co-showrunner, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, we welcome you to the table read of the third season of ‘Purple Grave’,” She scans the room. “Now, I’m going to direct you to her for words of encouragement. Let’s give it up for Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano.” She claps her hands and the others, too.

“Thank you, Thalia,” she faces everyone. “Today marks the first day of the 3rd season of the production of our humble little show. It is truly an honor to be given this much opportunity to share with our audience the product of our blood, sweat, and tears. Not many shows have stayed this long on-air with a solid fanbase that just continues to grow. Others start so high only to fall back hard. Others start low but don’t get the chance to stand up to their competitors. But for us? We started strong, but we were never blinded by hubris. We took risks but never flew too close to the sun. Now, we’re here, strong as ever and getting sturdier and sturdier each year.

“This year, we add new members to our family; Janice Bell as Deputy Commissioner Olsen, Dakota Finn as Dinah Tyler, an old friend of Lester Perry, Kayla Knowles as Capt. Gwendolyn Tyler, and Nyssa Barrera as Officer Sofia Mendoza, the lover of Lester Perry. Unfortunately, she could not be reached, but I’m sure there’s an acceptable reason for it. In her absence, we have one of our head writers, Nico di Angelo, to read her lines. They will help us improve and in return, we will help them progress.

“And finally, before we start the table read because to be honest, I feel like I’m making my version of Braveheart speech over here,” everybody gives a chuckle, “let me just say that I’m so proud of all of you. Even the ones that can’t be here. Whether we get canceled or renewed this season, I will never regret working with all of you until the day I die. Thank you.”

Everybody burst into applause, even some of the network bosses gave her a grand total of three claps. Nico is so proud of Reyna, and he knows she’s proud of him too. She could not let her down.

“Nico that was so great! I loved it!” Apollo lifts him off the ground and spins him around.

“Ow. Thanks,” he says, a bit dizzy.

“Are you sure you don’t want to be my new boytoy?”

“Oh no no no. Absolutely not!” he declines fast like refusing a line of coke at a stranger’s party. “I mean, I’m not really an actor, I’m just a writer.”

“Could’a fooled me. You really sound like a pro.”

He blushes, then a feeling of uneasiness filled the pit of his stomach. “Aw, no. That’s just because I’ve been to a lot of table reads.”

“Nah, still.” Apollo smiles broadly at him, “If you change your mind I’ll be happy to welcome you in my trailer for some ‘workshop’.” He winks at him then walks away.

He is still eyeing Apollo when Reyna hugs him tightly from behind. “Thank you for that, Nico. I owe you one.”

“Nah, you don’t. I’m happy to help.”

“I was really impressed, by the way.” She punches him playfully in the arm. “Where did you learn to do that?”

 _Oh fuck. Make your answer brief._ “I did theater for a year when I was in elementary school… In Italy.” Shit. Shit, is that misleading enough?

“Wow, I didn’t know you were a theater kid,”

“I wasn’t. It was just a year.”

“Alright. Cool. I’ll bear that in mind, di Angelo.”

Thalia and the other crew that was at the table read all came up to congratulate his ‘save’. He gave them all a brief ‘thanks guys’ and went home after the Stolls informed them about the start of shooting next week.

Nyssa shows up the next day apologizing, saying she thought _today_ is the table read so she drank himself stupid the night before the table read. She assures that she will be there next week and that she will be early. Thalia and Reyna seem satisfied with her answer so they agree and she goes home. They contact Reimi Jordan’s agent anyway. Better safe than sorry, Thalia says.

At home, Will talks to him about his youngest brother, Aiden. In return, Nico tells him about Hazel, how she was as a child, what she ate, what she did with Nico. He does not tell him about Bianca. He doesn’t need to know about Bianca. His pity is the last thing he needs.

Nico tells him the story of how he got Mrs. O’Leary, but not the part where she got him with Percy and Annabeth in tow. He tells him about their old chauffer, Jules-Albert, whom Nico, as a kid, called a zombie (Will laughs pretty hard about it, Nico feels strangely proud).

They ended the call earlier than usual since he will have his weekly brunch with Hazel and Frank tomorrow instead of Friday that week. Will blows him a kiss and drops the call before he could say anything.

A few minutes later, while he’s browsing Twitter, his phone notifies him of a message from Will. He opens it and almost hits his head on his headboard from shock. It’s a mirror shot of the blond clearly just out from the shower, with half-lidded eyes and a mischievous smirk. His is hair messy, with some strands still dripping with water, and towel on his shoulders. Nico assumes he’s naked waist down since he could perfectly see the v of his waist and the beginnings of dark blond hair (and a little bit of a dong neck). Nico feels himself twitch inside his sleep shorts.

 **Will from the bar  
**u can show this 2 ur sis. ask her if she approves 😜😜 **10:03**

“Aw hell!” he shouts, waking Mrs. O’Leary from her nap.

 **Will from the bar**  
[voice message: 00:07] 10:05  
_“Or you can use it as a reference when you jerk off tonight. Good night, Nico.”_

“Fuck you, Will whatever your last name is! Fuck you and your fucking face.” Nico grumbles angrily as he arranges himself in his bed, willing his half-interested dick to calm the fuck down and let him go the fuck to sleep.

Hazel and Frank couldn’t make it to brunch so they gathered for a late lunch instead. Nico picked the place, an Italian restaurant he’d been to twice. Nico went with Leo and ordered the pizza. They arrived a few moments before the pizza did.

“The hell did he say, Nico?” Leo says as he bites into his pizza margherita.

Nico plays the voice message from Will last night, “ _Or you can use it as a reference when you jerk off tonight. Good night, Nico.”_

“Where’s the picture then?” he asks again.

Nico tosses Leo his phone which he catches. He instantly scrolls up and clicks on it. He shows it to Frank and Hazel.

“Oh my Goooodd!!” Hazel squeals as she shakes Frank’s arm. Nico shrugs.

“Wait, wait, speaking of which! What happened? Did you ask him out for drinks already?”

Frank stops mid-bite to wait for his answer, so is Leo.

“I did,” he says, not elaborating.

“And?” Frank asks.

Nico shrugs again.

“Nico you can’t leave us hangin’, man. What happened?” Leo pressed.

Nico groans, “I asked him out for drinks but he brought his friends. He’s clearly not interested.”

“That is _highly_ unlikely. I tell you, man, he wants what’s yours.” Leo suggested, eyeing him from head to hip.

“That’s bullshit,” Frank adds.

“See? Even Frank thinks it’s absurd. He likes you, Neeks.” Hazel is nodding her head at him like a bobblehead.

“I tell you all, he is not interested.”

Leo grabs Nico’s phone from Hazel, “Would a person send you an ‘almost’ nude if he doesn’t like you?” he asks. Not waiting for an answer, he taps the shoulder of a woman behind them, “Excuse me, miss. I have a question,” he shows him Will’s picture, “Would a person send you an ‘almost’ nude if he doesn’t like you?”

“Oh wow, _who_ is this cutie?” the lady inquires back.

“I know, right? But lady, please answer the question,” Leo smirks at her.

“Of course they won’t. I won't let them send me anything unless we’re already flirting.” The lady giggles.

“Thank you very much, lady stranger,” Leo sticks his arm out, asking for a handshake, “By the way, the name’s Leo Valdez. Nice to meetcha!”

The lady takes Leo’s hand and shakes it, “I’m Caly. Nice to meet you too.” She winks at him. Nico sees Leo’s ears turn pink.

Leo returns Nico’s phone to focus his attention on Caly so Nico pockets his phone.

“See? Even the lady thinks Will likes you,” Hazel says.

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Nico responds.

“It kind of is. Why don’t you give his number to us and we’ll ask him,” Frank suggests.

“Absolutely fucking not!”

\---

Nico arrives on location to an absolute shitshow.

“Where the fuck is Nyssa?!” Thalia screams to the Stolls.

“Holy shit, is she not here yet?” Connor asks.

“Would I be asking you if I know where she is?” She deadpans.

“We’ll just call Reimi’s agent again. See if he could come today.” Travis suggests which calms Thalia a bit. He pulls out his phone and starts dialing.

Nico approaches Reyna who’s getting coffee from the snack table. “What is going on?” he asks

“Seems like Nyssa fucking Barrera ditched again,” Reyna says calmly. Oh good Lord, she _is_ pissed.

“Aw fuck. Even I believed her when she said she’d come today,” he folds his arms, “What are we going to do now?”

“Shoot different scenes today, I guess. We can’t start with anything for the uniformed officer unless Nyssa or Reimi is here.”

Nico sees Travis jogging to them, “Bad news, Reimi’s already booked,” Reyna puts her cup down to rub her face, “But he’ll be free two weeks from now.” Travis continues.

“We can’t wait that long. It’s either Reimi or we suspend principal photography until we hire a new one.”

Apollo walks to Nico’s left and asks, “What’s going on, di Angelo?”

“Looks like Nyssa ditched,” he answers. “Travis contacted her replacement but he’s booked so now either we get Reimi or we stop the production until we hire a new actor for the role.”

“Oh, why don’t you do it?” Apollo nonchalantly suggests.

Reyna hears the exchange and slowly turns her head to the both of them, “That is an _excellent_ idea!” She grabs Nico by the shoulders and looks at him hard. “Will you do it, Nico? Please?”

“Yeah, you were excellent in the table read. If it was up to me, I’d rather have you as my TV boyfriend.”

Nico is so confused, “Uh…”

“Please, Nico? I am begging you. Do not worry about anything _at all_. You were excellent in the table read but if you think you want an acting coach, we could get you one. But honestly I don’t think you need it. Right, Apollo?”

“Yes. You were like a pro! I was truly impressed.” Apollo holds his hand.

Nico is still stunned about what’s happening but he could feel himself giving in. Instead, he says, “Will you at least give me a day or two to decide?”

“Yes, shit. Yes, Nico, absolutely. We’ll move things around the call sheet so you could decide. But please, if you can, give me your decision tomorrow? But if you really can’t, you can have the next day. I would give you more time but my hands are tied. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I understand. Maybe I could give it to you tomorrow? But can I head home for now so I have more time?” he asks, biting his nails. A habit he thought he had eradicated entirely.

“Sure. You can go. Thank you, Nico.” Reyna kisses his forehead and radios Thalia and Travis before moving along, probably going to where Clarisse, the episode’s director, is.

Apollo lifts him up to hug him before letting him go then Connor comes to give him a copy of the script. Nico says his goodbyes to the staff and crew before driving away in his car. He calls for an emergency lunch with Hazel and Frank, no Leo this time since he’s working.

“Reyna asked me to play Apollo’s boyfriend in the show,” Nico says in lieu of greeting his sister and her boyfriend.

“That’s great, Nico! What did you say?” Frank says as Hazel squeals and congratulate her brother.

“I’m fucking terrified! It’s been literal years since I was last in front of the camera!”

“You’ll be alright, Nico. Isn’t this what you wanted when we were kids?” Hazel asks with pleading eyes.

“Well, things are different _now_ , Haze.”

“ _That_ wasn’t your fault and you know it. It was the production's and we won the case.” Hazel says, her voice hard, “You don’t have to keep punishing yourself over it, Nick. Look at me,” she gently moves Nico’s face so he’s looking at her, her voice gentle, “She would be proud of you if you take this, and she’d still be proud of you if you turn it down. It’s totally up to you, Nico. Whatever your decision is, we'll back you up. But please don’t pass up an opportunity just because of what happened in the past.”

Nico frowns at her, “Okay. I’ll think about it some more.”

“That’s all I ask.” Hazel kisses him on the cheek. 

Nico sends a confirmation text to Reyna before going to bed. She replies with a thumbs-up emoji.

He tries his goddamn best to go to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fellas, we're going E the next update.
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask)!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating change!
> 
> I know my writing sucks ass (like Will, hopefully, soon) but thank you for reading it anyway. I love you all ♥♥♥
> 
> I feel like I have to address this but this chapter takes place around mid-April, making Nico 29 years old since he's an Aquarius baby. He's hoeing responsibly.
> 
> Since we all know that Travis and Connor are NOT twins, I "made" Travis' birthday January and Connor's December, giving them "twin vibes" despite not being twins. I calculated it and it can happen. I used to know siblings who have the same dynamics, born on the same year but not twins.
> 
> UPDATE: 11/06/20  
> I forgot to include this yesterday, I'm sorry.
> 
> A little spoiler-y but there's discussion of Bianca's passing in this chapter. Not in grave detail but one of the reasons is said. There's still more to it but that will be revealed in later chapters.
> 
> Also, Zoe Nightshade is the other other.

Nico’s first scene does not have any dialogue in it yet. In fact, he’s only a background character. For now, of course. His speaking lines will come later. He only has to look at Venus or Det. Quincy stealthily every now, walk past her every time she calls someone, and move around the set just as he’s told.

His character’s name is Off. Giulio Mitchell, but Apollo’s character calls him Gio. And as he wrote, Gio is Lester’s mole-slash-boyfriend in the precinct. He tips off Lester about Quincy’s latest crook and Lester takes care of it.

Tomorrow he has a few more lines with Apollo and Venus but that’s about it. He’s going to be climbing emergency exit staircases in the middle of the night with a camera, stalking Venus’ Quincy in the streets, etc. etc.

He goes home excited and thrilled for the next day.

Nico’s good mood and excitement for his new job continue for a few weeks. He reviews his script the night before and during make-up, does occasional last minute revises of it with Reyna, Thalia, Hylla (their episode director and Reyna’s sister), Grover, and the others involved. It goes pretty well until Thalia reminds him of his and Apollo’s sex scene for tomorrow’s shoot.

“Aw fuck!” he cries.

He is not, by any means, body shy. He’s pretty fit, even for someone who eats fast food at least three times per week. He does Pilates and boxes from time to time. He used to do krav maga in his early 20s but stopped because he got lazy, and he jogs for an hour every day, mostly in the evenings. He’s lean and somewhat strong. In other words, he looks good naked.

But getting naked for sex is different than getting naked for fake sex in front of a camera, where dozens of people watch you fake bone someone. Not to mention the person he’s going to have fake sex with is his literal celebrity crush.

It might be a dream come true for others, but it is mortifying for him. What if he pops a boner? That would be so fucking awkward. His friends would _never_ live it down if he chubs up in the scene. His _brain_ would never live it down if he gets an erection in the scene. He knows he could wear something for it, Reyna and Thalia will most likely let him wear something for it, but the _shame_ of knowing you’re getting turned on by someone fake humping you is humiliating. Nico shudders thinking about it.

“What’s wrong, di Angelo?” Apollo asks, sneaking up on him.

“Fuck!” he yelps, “Please don’t do that.” He’s massaging his head, preparing for incoming headache.

Apollo laughs at him and gives him a half hug, “Let me guess, you’re nervous for tomorrow,”

Nico glares at him. Apollo laughs again. “Don’t worry, di Angelo. If it’s your first time, I’ll be gentle.” He winks at him and pecks him on the cheek, “Oh yeah, we’ll also have our first onscreen kiss tomorrow.”

“Aw fuck me!”

 **“** Tomorrow, I promise. **”** Apollo waggles his eyebrows at him and walks away.

God fucking dammit!

++++

_“Officer Mitchell, have you seen the files on my desk?”_

“No, detective. I’m on door duty for a while but I…” Gio trails off as Lester, noses the back of his neck and nips on it. “I’ll find it for you later.” He cranes his neck to the side to give him more access.

_“Please hurry up, Officer Mitchell. I need those files today.”_

“Will do, detective.” Gio ends the call and tosses his phone on the shelf. He turns around to wrap his arms around Lester and pulls him down to kiss him deeper.

“Who was that, Gio?” Lester whispers as he licks and bites Gio’s neck. He shivers. He unbuckles Gio’s belt and undoes his pants which fall smoothly on the floor.

Gio holds Lester’s temples in his palms to look at him properly, “You damn well know who I was talking to.” He says as he steps out of his discarded pants. Lester grins at him and kisses him again wet and sloppy. Gio moans low. Lester wastes no time pushing his tongue in and sucks on his tongue.

Lester hastily unbuttons his uniform until Gio catches up with what he’s doing and starts helping him. He laughs against Gio’s kisses and removes his hole-ridden mustard sweater. Lester wraps his large hands around his thighs and lifts him off the floor. Gio wraps his legs around his hips and grinds their clothed erections together, earning a growl from the other man. He gropes and spreads Gio’s ass in his underwear. He lets out a high-pitched whine.

Lester drops him at the edge of the mattress. He backs away quickly, looking up at his lover and biting his lower lip. It has been more than a week since the last time they had sex, but he’d do anything if it means relieving even just a bit of an itch.

Lester removes his pants and shoves his underwear to his knees, “Gio, darling, I think you know what to do,” his eyes half-lidded and voice deep and enticing.

Gio kneels in front of him and takes him in his mouth.

++++

Nico’s body is covered in a thin film of sweat from the studio lights and nervousness.

Apollo removes his body on top of Nico, muttering a quick ‘not bad at all’ and an apology for essentially crushing him. Nico awkwardly laughs.

Good lord, Apollo fucks.

Nico’s nerves are vibrating. He wants to punch a wall. He wants to stomp a hole on a concrete floor. He wants to get fucked within an inch of his life.

He mentally thanks all the deities he could think of that he’s taped the whole time he was getting fake mauled because only God fucking knows what would happen if he’s au naturel in front of the crew. Apollo was taped too, thank fucking heavens.

The more Nico recalls getting down and dirty with the fake dick Apollo was wearing, the more he itches to get the tape off of him. He has no idea if he’s hard or still flaccid because of the tightness around him but he’s goddamn ready to take it all off.

The sex scene was the last to be filmed for the day so after helping him remove the tape, most of the staff and crew have already left to go home.

Nico hurriedly throws his stuff in the backseat of his car then goes on his way to look for the Stolls. After circling the set, he finds Connor. “Hey Con, where’s your brother?” he asks Connor as he approaches. He keeps his voice leveled as much as he could.

“He’s at the back, why?” Connor answers. His eyebrow raised accusingly. Nico is sure he’s dying to ask _‘why do you need him?’_

“Nothing. See you tomorrow.” He bites his tongue to not continue the ‘don’t wait for your brother’ that is threatening to slip out of his mouth.

Sure enough, he finds Travis behind the set, smoking. And as luck would have it, he’s alone.

Travis throws his half-smoked cigarette when he sees him, “Hey, Neeks. What’s— _mmf_ ”

Nico pulls Travis down his lips and kisses him, bitterness from the cigarette coating his tongue. He licks further inside Travis’ mouth and scratches the back of his head. Travis moans then grabs Nico’s hips with his hands to stay him in place.

Nico releases his mouth then goes for his neck. He licks and sucks and nips Travis’ neck until the other man groans. Nico cups his rapidly hardening cock. “Aw shit, Nico.” He breathes out.

“Come on, Trav. Let’s go. I need you to fuck me.” He’s aware he sounds desperate, but that’s because he is. He’s been desperate since he heard that goddamn voice message weeks ago.

“Alright, my man. Let’s go.”

He quickly leads Mrs. O’Leary inside the bathroom once when he gets home. He and Travis used their own cars because neither of them wants to carpool the next day to work, it’s in their rules. They have been doing this arrangement for about 3 years now so they know what to do.

Nico was taking a month off his one-night stand spree because of an STI scare when Travis proposed the arrangement. He agreed and after their tests turned out negative, they set the ground rules; 1) no sleepovers no matter how late, 2) no one, except Connor, can know (he and Travis live together and he’s friends with Nico, there’s no way he won’t find out what they’re doing) 3) the standard ‘no catching feelings’, 4) everything stops when the other one starts dating someone, 5) no pet names, 6) no marks, and 7) **absolutely** no one can know except Connor. For 3 years, none of the rules have been broken yet. Nico still had occasional one night stands, but only like 3 or 4 since they started. And all of those because Travis wasn’t available. It’s just handjobs so no biggie.

Travis steps inside his apartment and Nico immediately pulls him towards his bedroom. He locks his fucking door (they almost got caught too many times by Hazel and Leo) and goes to town on Travis’ neck once more. He doesn’t stand on his tiptoes that much since the other man is only a few inches taller than him, unlike Apollo who is almost a foot taller. God, Apollo, with his golden hair and tanned skin, and are his eyes brown or blue? It must be blue. Yes, it’s blue. And a splatter of freckles on his nose, soft smile, he reckons he smells of antiseptic and sterile environment. “Aah!” he yelps as Will—no, Travis— pinches a nipple.

He backs away a step to remove his shirt, the happenings of this afternoon’s shoot replaying in his mind. Nico unbuckles his pants and steps out of it, leaving his underwear and socks on. He then undoes Travis’ pants because he’s taking a longer time than Nico would’ve liked. “Hurry up!” he says impatiently. Travis giggles at him.

“What the fuck are you giggling at?” he growls.

“You’re so impatient it’s funny!” Travis’ arm gets stuck in the sleeves of his Henley.

“Oh for fuck's sake!” Nico helps remove his shirt as Travis giggles continuously.

Nico pushes the still laughing Travis towards the bed and quickly climbs over him when Travis falls on it. They make out for a while, which is more tongue and saliva than lips colliding. Travis pushes his boxers down his thighs and kneads his ass, spreading it open. Nico whines in his mouth. He loves it when his partners do that. He grabs Travis’s left hand from his ass and pushes the index finger inside his mouth, coating it generously with saliva. Travis grins at him. Nico gives it one last sloppy lick and directs it to his waiting hole.

Travis kisses him again while his finger circles his hole, twitching, and longing for the pressure it would bring in his pucker. “Just push it in, Christ, Travis,” Nico growls.

“Alright, alright. Geez,” Travis finally pushes his finger inside and Nico fucking mewls.

Nico’s thighs and arms are trembling from keeping himself above Travis. He alternates from pushing his hips down to grind his erection on Travis’ clothed cock and pushing himself backward to Travis’ finger.

“I’m ready for another one. Hurry _uuuuuuppp_!!”

“You’re so eager today, Nico. Is Russel really that good?” Travis teases. He reaches for the lube he’s so sure inside Nico’s pillowcase.

“ _Hnng fuck!_ Yes, he’s so good he made me this fucking horny!”

Travis successfully retrieves his half empty bottle. He removes his finger inside Nico and pours a reasonable amount of it on his hand. He warms it up in his fingers and pushes back two fingers inside Nico. “ _Fuck fuck fuck_! Faster, Trav, faster!”

“You look so fucking hot like this, Nico, but as much as I like this position I can’t give you what you want.” He says, scissoring his fingers around Nico. “Let me just,” Travis removes his fingers again from Nico and pushes him off. Nico huffs in frustration as he lifts himself off of him. Travis kneels behind Nico and guides him to his preferred position by pushing his shoulders to the mattress. Nico gets the idea and pushes his ass in the air, presenting to him, and steadies himself with his elbows. “There. That’s better.”

“ _Ugh_ fuck you, Travis. Hurry the fuck up!”

“Okay, okay. Chill out. I’m gonna do it now.”

Travis drizzles more lube inside Nico’s gaping hole, Nico hissing from the cold, and inserts two fingers again. He preps him hastily. “Are you ready for the third?” He asks.

“Since fucking yesterday, numbnuts,” Nico growls. Travis immediately inserts a third finger. Nico screams when Travis grazes his prostate.

Nico is pretty sure he irritated Travis and rubbing in his prostate is his way of revenge. “ _Ah!_ Fuck _aah_! Stop, Travis I don’t want to come yet!”

“Don’t you fucking dare or I’ll leave I swear to fuck!” Nico’s thighs twitch, his dick leaking profusely on his bedspread, his knuckles white from gripping the sheets tight, tears and drool and sweat on the sheets. He’s a fucking mess.

Finally, after what feels like days, Travis removes his fingers. Nico’s hole twitch from the loss of Travis’ fingers. He hears the crinkle of foil from Travis and a moment later he’s pushing inside him.

“ _Yesss_. Come on, come on, come on,” Nico chants.

Travis grunts when he bottoms out, “Ah, fuck. You’re still so fucking tight! When was the last time we did this?”

Nico is about to die from frustration and he has the gall to ask when was the last time they had sex? Nico grits his teeth, “What the fuck is wrong with you? I could literally fucking feel your dick behind my navel and you’re asking me when was the last time we had sex?!” Nico pushes himself up and cranes his neck in an attempt to glare at Travis. “Early November, I think.”

His eyes catch Travis’ large brown curls. He’d look cuter if he’s blond though, he thinks. And his eyes? Blue. It should be blue. And kinder. More soft around the edges. But the mischievous glint in Travis’ eyes is kinda cute, I guess. He’s also a bit pale. Would be nice if he’s tanned. Not like Apollo tanned but like, a little bit.

Travis starts to move, gradually making his thrusts harder as he grips Nico’s hips tight, “You’re lucky you’re hot.” He says before leaning down to bite at Nico’s shoulder.

“Do not fucking mark me!” he hisses.

“Relax, I won’t break the skin. It’ll fade in a few hours. I should tell you the same, you’ve been on my neck even before we got here, Count von Count.”

Nico is a mewling mess under Travis. His thighs tremble and his jaw aches from grinding his teeth but high-pitched whines and moans still escape him. He doesn’t talk much in the middle of sex, but he’s very vocal. It’s one thing his partners really like about him.

When Travis gets tired, he pulls out and flips Nico’s pliant body. He pushes Nico’s knees further apart. He lines himself back again and thrusts. He leans his weight on Nico’s pale thighs, forcing Nico to spread his legs some more, then fucks him hard and fast.

It hurts _so_ good.

Nico feels his orgasm building but too fucked out to warn Travis. He pumps his straining and leaking cock a few times before coming on his stomach.

“Is my dick too good, Nico?”

Nico gives a breathless “shut up” before Travis fucks Nico vigorously again. His thrusts get erratic, “Fuck fuck _fuck fuck_ I’m gonna— _ohhh_ ” then Nico feels him empty himself in the condom. He slumps beside him and chuckles. Nico flips him off.

Travis leaves half an hour later. Nico walks him to the door and makes out with him for a while before letting him go.

He changes his sheets and stuffs them in the wash.

**\------**

“You’re so relaxed today, di Angelo. Did you get laid recently?” Apollo teases him.

Nico is in a great mood so he plays along, “I sure did.” He laughs and accepts Apollo’s high five.

They are shooting the fifth episode now, with Venus serving as their director. Nico doesn’t want to admit it but he’s having a good time acting, probably even more so now than writing.

He and Bianca had always wanted to be stars, which they were, momentarily at least. Bianca starred in 3 commercially successful movies and he in various commercials and even voice acted a couple of times. They were even SAG members before shit went down. Is he still a member? Should he update his membership? Is it possible to be a member of WGAW and SAG-AFTRA at the same time? Whatever. He’ll have to ask Reyna, Thalia, or Apollo about it.

Maybe he’ll do this only once. If another one comes along the way he’ll consider updating his SAG membership. He’ll be fine. He knows Netflix won’t rip him off, Reyna and Thalia will make sure of that, and he is still protected by the WGAW.

They’re halfway done with filming. They only have 8 episodes per season so they’re mostly on time with the schedule. After filming, it’s the post-production team’s turn to get the thing rolling. He doesn’t know if he’s included in this year’s marketing and promotion since his character is pretty much a secret. They have already released a statement about Nyssa’s firing but they did not say anything about replacing her to the press, so his character is creating a buzz in the fan base. Once he’s been introduced in the show, he is certain the fans will dig anything and everything about him. It’s fine, to be honest. The last time he appeared on something he was still a teenager. The only thing he’s worried about is Bianca. Hazel is already in the public eye, and she has her own team who will take care of her once the Bianca thing becomes open again. Ah, shit. He has to hire a PR because Bianca **_will_** come up in the interviews and he doesn’t want to talk about Bianca during interviews. He has to talk to Zack and the Gang and the showrunners.

He set up a meeting that weekend and they graciously agreed, which is a total surprise since they don’t usually agree to sudden meetings like this.

Nico anxiously waits in one of the many conference rooms. Any minute now and they will start to trickle in.

Sure enough, at 8:58 AM, Patrick Jackson comes in. Nico’s back straightens as he watches Patrick walk towards his seat, unnoticing him. He almost jumps when he sees Nico looking at him.

“Oh Jesus, Nico. Didn’t see you there,” he says as he sits down. “So, you wanted to talk to us?”

“Uh…” Nico looks around. His appointment is 9 AM but only Jackson is present. Are they seriously not going to show? “Where are the others?”

“Oh, they’re just running late. Minerva will be here any minute, she’s just getting coffee. You know how she is,” Jackson grins.

“I would rather have them all here before I talk,” he says. “I don’t want to keep repeating myself every time someone comes in.”

Patrick holds up his hands up and shrugs, “Alright, alright.” He leans back to his seat and pulls his phone out from his pocket. A moment later Nico hears music from Patrick’s phone, clearly from a game.

Minerva comes in. She apologizes for being late, even though she’s literally on time, and sits down.

The rest of _The Gang_ and Reyna and Thalia comes in about three minutes later, minus Arthur. He’s always late, but it doesn’t matter since he always agrees with what everyone has decided, with occasional bursts of anger when something doesn’t get his way. Nico’s not worried about him. He won’t even care about this meeting at all.

Nico stands up to greet them but Zack waves him off, “Don’t bother, boy.”

Nico clears his throat and whispers _okay_ to himself.

“What do you want, di Angelo?” Zack asks, his voice too rough for someone who’s not even that old.

“I was just wondering if I’m…” he trails off as Arthur comes barging in. He pulls the chair roughly beside Dina Gardner and sits.

Nico repeats his question, “I was just wondering if I’m included in the promotion for this season—”

“Oh my god, is that it? You’re asking if you have to do interviews and photoshoots for this season? You couldn’t ask that over email?” Arthur interrupts.

“Would you shut up, Arthur. The boy is still talking.” Miranda scolds him. Nico likes Miranda.

Nico is still sensing for further interruptions from anyone. When it’s clear they are all waiting for him to talk, he continues, “Because my SAG membership has long since expired and there might some things you should know about.” Patrick looks at him over his phone and Arthur visibly perks up. Miranda raises an eyebrow and Dina stops writing. The others, save from Zack and Helen, look curious as well.

Reyna raises an eyebrow at him. Thalia doesn’t seem so curious, probably because she has some idea what Nico is talking about. Same as Patrick.

“Wait, you’re a SAG member?” Reyna asks. “Since when a—”

“Don’t worry about your SAG, boy. The lawyers will take care of it.” Helen interjects.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough about your SAG membership. What about the other thing that you wanted us to know, boy?” Mr. D says. He doesn’t really interact with them so it is a surprise that he wants to know what Nico is about to share.

“Please, Dee. Let the boy speak on his own. Don’t be too enthusiastic about a gossip.” Harriet says.

Less than 30 minutes in and this meeting is beginning to be the most interesting one Nico has ever attended. He’s heard Miranda get pissed and Harriet talk all in one meeting! If Harold says something then this surely takes the top of his list. It will dethrone that one meeting wherein their showrunner quit before puking all over the conference room and break all the glassware he could see. They already shot the pilot for that show but it ended up being shelved. A few months after that incident Reyna got in touch with him.

Nico takes a deep breath, “Bianca Ransom was my sister.” The silence that followed is deafening. He waits for a question but no one seems interested. He sees Reyna’s eyes widen.

“Who?” Arthur asks, breaking the silence.

“You are such an idiot. You’ve been in this business for a long time yet you still ask _who_ is Bianca Ransom?” Dina barks at him.

Miranda answers him, “Bianca Ransom is one of the two actresses who died in the set of The Dancing Child 16 years ago due to negligence.”

“Then what’s the deal?” Arthur asks again, obviously irritated.

Nico looks around again and sees that Patrick has resumed fiddling with his phone and Thalia looks as unbothered as ever. It’s fine. Though they knew what happened, it’s not their story to tell. He mentally thanks the deities responsible for Thalia and Patrick’s silence.

“It’s going to come up in the interviews should I participate in them, sir.” Shut up shut up shut up shut. The fuck. Up. Arthur.

“Why would it come up? It’s not like she’s still here.” Wow. Moron and fucking rude. Someone say something or he’ll fucking act up like she’s still here.

“God! Shut the fuck up will you, Arthur?!” Harry snaps at him. “How insensitive and moronic can you be? Of course it will come up, have you ever spoken to a reporter? Or even seen the news?”

“It will come up because that’s what reporters do. They dig an actor’s past and display it for everyone to see like the latest exhibit at the Met.” Patrick says, not even looking up from his phone. Not even blinking for fuck’s sake.

“I’m okay with people knowing about it. It’s been on the news. It’s on the internet. I can’t erase that anymore. What I would want is for people not to ask me about it on interviews. That’s it.” He says firmly. Irritation from Arthur’s insensitivity slowly fading from the support he’s given.

“It’s alright, boy. When the promotion starts we’ll send a notice to the stations and reporters not to ask you anything about your sister.” Dina assures him. Nico likes her, she has a very maternal aura.

“Is there any more that you want?” Harriet asks him.

“No, ma’am.”

“What about the two of you?” She shifts her gaze to Thalia and Reyna who are listening to the whole ordeal.

Thalia speaks first, “No, ma’am.”

“We’re good.” Reyna follows.

“Alright. If there’s nothing more, can we end this meeting already? I’m meeting Percy in a few hours.” Patrick says, pocketing his phone and drumming his fingers on the mahogany table.

“Yeah, sure,” Zack says then turns to Thalia. “If you have any concerns please email me first.”

“Of course,” Thalia answers.

Zack and The Gang leave first, leaving the three alone. Reyna immediately rushes to him with Thalia trailing behind.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks, not angry but genuinely concerned. “I would’ve looked for someone else if I knew.”

“You both needed help and I wanted to help, so I agreed.” He shrugs.

Reyna eyes Thalia, “Did you know anything about this?”

“Yes, but I didn’t want to tell him what he can and can’t do. The kid is old, he can do whatever he wants.” Thalia answers.

“If you all could stop calling me kid, that would be great. Hell, I’m turning 30 next year.”

“Yeah, nice try, kid. You’re short so we’re calling you kid.” Thalia retorts.

“Stop distracting me, Thalia, how did you know about Nico’s?”

Thalia looks at Nico. He gives her a short nod, she sighs deeply. “Might as well let her know,” he says.

“He and Jason are, were? I don’t know anymore. They’re friends when they were kids, along with Jackson’s son and this one girl, and of course, Bianca. Also, he and Jason used to date.” Thalia says.

“What?!” Reyna yells.

“They were all child actors, except Jason. Percy and the girl quit after she died. He quit a few years later,” Thalia gestures to Nico.

“Why did no one tell me about this?”

“Because you might think I’m some kind of nepotism baby or whatever you call it if it’s my friend’s dad and my other friend’s sister.”

“What he said,” Thalia puts her hands on her hips. “Admit it, Reyn, the kid has talent. He writes well. We’re a good team, us three. Or four or whatever, if you include everyone.”

Reyna clicks her tongue. “This is not over yet. I expect both of you to take me out next week and tell me everything.”

Thalia and Nico offer sounds of approval then they all step out of the room.

\----

“Hey, Deathboy. How’s writing for a big shot Hollywood production?” Will is lying on his bed. His phone clearly above him. He’s probably holding it up, Nico thinks.

“Eh, not as glamorous as anybody would think.” He leans his phone by the sink while he rummages his shelves for Nutella. When he finds it, he gathers the bread, his phone, and the jar in his arms to his dining table.

“What are you doing?” Will asks.

He leans his phone again on a glass of water. “I’m making a snack.”

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“I want a snack.”

“What are you making?”

“Just a chocolate sandwich.”

“Ooohh, sweet. You can spread some on my nipples and lick them clean.”

Nico’s hand slips and accidentally spreads the chocolate on his left hand, “Jesus fucking Christ, Will!”

“What? I’m just saying,” He grins and bites his lower lip. He rests his right hand on his chest, or pec, whatever.

He resumes spreading chocolate on his bread, “I swear to god, Will. When I flirt back one day, you’ll regret it.”

“You’re all talk, you’re not gonna do shit.”

“One day. One. Day.” He wags his index finger at the camera. Will laughs.

“If you say so. Alright, I’ll let you eat in peace. Good night, Neeks. Pretend that’s sandwich is my dick byeeeee!”

“That doesn’t even make any sense!” Nico cries but the video call has been disconnected already.

He huffs a breath, red in the face, a little turned on but continues to slather chocolate on his wheat bread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me on [tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask)!
> 
> I'm using the tag "wtsir" on Tumblr. I will be posting updates and whatnot there.
> 
> Name Guide for the Human Name of the Gods in this Story:
> 
> ♦ Zeus - Zack Ramirez  
> ♦ Hera - Helen Ramirez  
> ♦ Poseidon - Patrick Jackson  
> ♦ Apollo - Apollo Solace (screen name: Paul Russel)  
> ♦ Artemis - Artemis Solace (screen name: Timmy Dunn)  
> ♦ Ares - Arthur Perrie  
> ♦ Demeter - Dina Gardner  
> ♦ Hephaestus - Harold Smith (see what I did? lol)  
> ♦ Athena - Miranda Yeun  
> ♦ Hestia - Harriet Lucas  
> ♦ Dionysius - Mr. D  
> ♦ Hades - Henry di Angelo


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: emeto
> 
> This is kind of a filler chapter but something important happens, I guess? 🤷♂️
> 
> UPDATE 09/07/2020: I know NOTHING about medicine, okay? But I have gastritis so I frequently have to take antacids. Just don't take Will's medical suggestions unless he says you have to go to the doctor.

“Haze, you might want to gather your team to talk about damage control when promotion for Purple Grave starts.” Nico purses his lips as he waits for Hazel’s answer.

“Hm? Why?”

“I might be in the promo poster, but that’s not final yet. Thalia and Reyna are still strategizing with Marketing about it.”

“Okay, I’ll mention it to Tara and Lavinia.”

“Cool. Alright, gotta go.”

“Wai—” he clicks the end button.

Nico is quite busy today. He and Apollo are going to shoot several scenes together with Timmy Dunn as their director, aka Artemis Solace, Apollo’s twin. Needless to say, he’s pretty fucking nervous.

He looks at his watch, 7:27 AM. “Dear fucking Lord,” he says then drinks his warm coffee in 3 big gulps. He rushes back to his studio-assigned trailer and brushes his teeth in 5 seconds. He quickly grabs his breath strips and puts a huge amount of it in his tongue. He winces as his tongue burns.

7:29 AM. Shit. He rushes out, bangs his trailer door shut, and runs to the studio. He might look like an over-eager loser but at least he won’t be a _late_ over-eager loser in Timmy Dunn’s presence.

He slams open the studio door and almost drops to his knees, panting. 7:30 AM. Just on time. “Fuck yeah,” he says then finds Leo to pester him.

“Oy, Nico why are you so sweaty?”

“I ran all the way here,” he grabs a chair and plops down, perspiration on his scalp.

“Why?” He nearly jumps as Apollo appears beside him holding a smoothie, condensation dripping all over. Nico subtly rubs his chest, comforting himself from the shock. 

“It’s 7:30, I don't want to be late. Don’t want to embarrass myself in front of Timmy Dunn,”

“Ugh, don’t bother yourself with that, she’s always late. Trust me.” He takes a sip of his smoothie. “What time is it, 7:33? She’ll be here by 7:45. It’s always for 15 minutes.” A makeup artist approaches him and they talk for a while. When she leaves, he places his half-empty cup and says, “Sorry boys, gotta bounce. Di Angelo, they need you at makeup in 5 minutes.”

He and Leo talk while the latter checks the various equipment for later. 5 minutes later, a makeup artist picks Nico up and brings him to the mirrors for a quick touch up since he almost sweats his makeup off from running earlier, and then sure enough, at 7:45 sharp, the studio doors open revealing Timmy Dunn’s pale blonde hair.

He changes into his costume for the day, a white button-up and black pants, and the makeup crew sprays something on his face, then he’s heading to the set.

“That’s a wrap for the day! See you all tomorrow at the scheduled time in your call sheets!” Marilyn, the director’s assistant, shouts in her megaphone.

“Ahh! Art, you sadistic asshole!” Apollo moans as he ruffles his hair out of frustration, “You always torture me! Does it turn you on when you’re being an asshole to me?” He holds out his arms and runs to Timmy Dunn to hug her.

“Don’t be gross, Pollo. I’m just doing my job.”

“Why do you always call me that?! Just call me Paul like a normal person,” Apollo pouts at her and she smirks at him.

“Good job today, Nico. I’m expecting you to have the same energy tomorrow, okay?”

Nico’s heart swells. He couldn’t believe Timmy Dunn liked his acting! “Y-yes, Miss Dunn!”

“Please, call me Artemis. Timmy Dunn is just for journalists and the SAG.” Artemis smiles at her then she ties her pale blonde hair in a bun and walks away.

“She’ll come in at 7:45, no rush.” Apollo squeezes his shoulder then leaves.

\----

Principal photography is nearing its end and Nico has finished shooting most of his parts. In fact, his last scene before he wraps is ANOTHER intimate scene with Apollo. He’s not as nervous as he was before but still pretty spooked about it, but Thalia and Reyna are directing this episode so he’s confident he’ll get out of this alive.

“Yes, Nico, straddle him. Like that, yes.” Thalia says as Nico adjusts his position on Apollo’s lap. Nico is wearing the thinnest shirt known to man while Apollo is shirtless. It won’t matter anymore later because Apollo will take off his shirt but good lord where did the wardrobe department find this thin-ass shirt? Apply slight friction to it and it WILL fall apart, he’s sure of it. It’s not even protecting his skin from the temperature of the studio. "Arch your back a little? Perfect. Wrap your hand around his neck." Nico moves his arm around Apollo's neck. "No, just your arm. Like-- like that, yes."

"Thank you, everyone!" Nico waves to the crew, saying his thanks and accepts the bouquet of flowers that one of the PAs gives him. They're sunflowers, perfect for the pop of color he wants for his kitchen.

He hugs Apollo, Venus, and the other cast, then Thalia and Reyna before giving his last wave and goes back to his car. He slumps in his seat and closes his eyes, his head falling back on the headrest. Thank fuck he's done. He doesn't have to come in at, he looks at his copy of the call sheet, 5:00 AM tomorrow. He sighs, starts his car, and drives to the nearest McDonald's (or any fast foods along the way) for some food. He is going to fucking treat himself with the greasiest, fattiest, most disgusting food he can order there. He hasn't touched a single processed food since the shooting started because he had to look good. The executives didn't require him to bulk up or maintain weight, but he did it anyway. He just didn't want to look like a drowned rat beside Apollo.

He buys himself some tacos, a triple whopper burger, a whole mac & cheese from Panera Bread, another cheeseburger from Jack In The Box he passed by, a box of pepperoni pizza, and a Subway sandwich.

He whistles as he opens his door. Mrs. O'Leary greets him with her tongue lolling lazily to the side. He gives her a scratch under her ear and places all his food on his dining table.

He changes into his lounge shorts an oversized shirt he's pretty positive he swiped from one of his "ex-boyfriends" though he can't remember who it belonged to. He then goes back to his kitchen and takes a plate, some soda, ketchup, and brings them back with him to the table.

He leans his phone on the ketchup bottle and goes to Youtube to watch a few random videos while gobbling his food down. He just finished with his first burger and the plate of tacos when his phone rings revealing Will's face. He props it vertically then answers it.

"Yes?" He says flatly as he takes a huge bite of his sirloin cheeseburger. Damn, it's really good.

"Woah! Take it easy, Neeks!" Will says, doing his adorable laugh.

"It's been months since I've had one of these, I'm not gonna 'take it easy'." He grabs a ketchup packet, bites a small hole in it, and squeezes its content on his burger.

"Not gonna lie, that looks really good. And you're not doing me any favor by eating like that. You're making me hungry."

"Mhm." Nico considers it for a moment, then he puts his burger down and wipes his mouth and greasy hands with a napkin. He picks his phone up, the angle is unflattering. "Where do you live?" He asks.

Will gives his address. "Why? You're going to visit me?" He bats his eyes then gasps, "what would the neighbors say?! What kind of girl do you think I am?!" He spreads his huge hand on his chest. Nico rolls his eyes at him.

"I just Doordash-ed you. It'll be there in 10 minutes." Nico says then places his phone back to its original place. 

Sure enough, after 10 minutes, Nico sees Will's head perk up. He walks away for a while and when he gets back, he holds up a Jack In The Box takeout bag. "Nico you didn't have to! I was just saying!" Will laughs.

Nico, already in his last two bites of the same burger, rolls his eyes again. "I don't like eating on my own when I'm talking to someone. Just say thank you and eat it like a normal human being.."

Will gives him a sincere smile and grabs a burger. "Thank you, Nico." He looks at the bag again. "There are two in here."

"Yeah, you can give that to Cecil, if you want. I don't care. Or you can eat that too, it's up to you."

"CECIL!!" Will screams. His voice echoing in Nico's apartment. Nico hears a muffled _what_ and then he hears Cecil's voice.

"Dude what?"

"Nico bought me two. He says this one's for you." He hands him the burger.

"Aw, for real?! Man, your boyfriend is the best!" Will's eyes widen almost comically making Nico snort in his mac & cheese. Will screams and pushes Cecil out of the frame. “Thank you, Nico!!” Nico hears him scream. He yells his _you’re welcome_.

“So, anyway,” Will sits back to his chair, his blond locks flopping on his temples. He looks like a surfer with his tanned skin, freckled nose, and muscle shirt. Or a gym rat. Nico couldn’t decide. He focuses his gaze on the underside of Will’s bicep. Good lord it looks hard. Its complexion slightly lighter than that of the topside of his arm. He wants to squeeze it. 

“Neeks? Nico? Hello? Earth to deathboy?” Will clicks his tongue so hard it wakes Nico from his trance.

“Wha-what?! Did you say something?” Nico asks, a blush forming on his cheeks. He just caught red-handed.

“Nuh-uh, but you were just looking behind me. I thought Carrot got out of his terrarium or something.”

“No, no, he’s fine. Still chilling on his glass world,” he laughs awkwardly. “Why did you call?” he asks, removing the subject from him.

“Oh, nothing, just want to see your face and ask how you’re doing and how’s your job?” Will peels the wax paper of his burger and takes a bite.

Nico grabs his second slice of pizza. “I’m finally done, thank fuck,” he squirts some hot sauce on it and takes it to his mouth. Oh shit, is he chewing loudly? Can Will hear his chews?! Fucking hell, does he eat like a pig? Why the fuck is he thinking about this? Don’t be fucking weird, Nico di Angelo, just eat and talk like you normally do! “I’m carbo-loading for a-- _ow_!” he bites his tongue. 

“Jesus, are you okay?”

“I bih my hung!” He ducks from the camera and quickly grabs a napkin to spit his food out. He wipes his tongue with another napkin, revealing a fair amount of blood and leaves bits and pieces of it in his mouth. He spits them out again. Good job, di Angelo. So much for not being weird.

“Sorry,” he says, sitting properly again. He takes a sip from his soda. “I bit my tongue.”

“Aw, that’s too bad. Are you still eating?”

“Fuck yeah I’m still eating. I didn’t touch these shit for four months so now I am going to eat the rest of these and I’m going to be constipated for a whole week.”

Will raises an eyebrow, “Writers can’t eat junk foods?” He sees Will reach for something, a mayonnaise.

Shit. “Uh... ” go on, think of an excuse! “It’s a weird ritual I do when I’m in the middle of a project. I sort of fast? Like, I ‘sacrifice’ something for the entire period I’m working to please the gods. That way I… they… grant my wishes?” Fucking great, now he sounds like a lunatic. Jesus, he sounded like that guy he once worked with, but his was a religion thing. But whatever. Get fucked, Andrew. He was a dick. 

“Wow. Can I know the project?” Will tears the mayonnaise packet open with his teeth, but he accidentally squirts it and now he has the white condiment all over the side of his mouth and chin. “Shit!” Will gasps and swipes the mayonnaise with his index finger, licks it obscenely from the base of his finger to the tip, and pops the rest in his mouth.

That awfully resembles a… oh shit! Dangerous thoughts! Dangerous thoughts! Abort! Abort! Abort! Think of Frank naked! Oh no not Frank! Frank is hot! Do not sexualize your sister’s boyfriend! Mrs. O’Leary dead? Oh no! Oh no! Too sad no! Erase that! Henry di Angelo in a thong on the beach? Okay, okay, keep picturing that. Ew. That is so weird. Nandor from What We Do In The Shadows on the beach wearing a thong under his cape. Weird. Why is Richie on the beach? He moved to New York, right? Watermelon. Red fruit, black seeds, green skin, white ridges. White. FUCK! Crabs? Sebastian. The Little Mermaid. 

A bark interrupts his thoughts of the beach and hot sun and parabolic tents swaying in the wind and sexy fruits and fictional mermaids. He looks down and sees Mrs. O’Leary on her hind legs, her front legs leaning on his leg, looking up at him. He hauls her up with one hand and lets her sit on his thigh. Will coos and shows his food on the camera, mayonnaise finally clear from his face.

Mrs. O’Leary licks his cheek. He scrunches his face, gives him a pepperoni and puts him back on the floor. He stands up to put his pizza and leftover mac & cheese inside the fridge. He’s had enough of those. He’d reheat the pizza tomorrow for breakfast and the mac & cheese for lunch.

“Aw, why’d you do that?” Will pouts. A-fucking-dorable.

“I’m eating. I can’t eat with one hand. Plus, I still have a footlong sandwich to eat.”

“I have a footlong sandwich _you’d_ like to eat,” Will mumbles but Nico catches. He glares at him.

“I’m not mad. I basically walked in on that.” Will beams at him and takes another bite of his burger.

He looks at his still-wrapped sandwich. He’s already full but he wants to eat with Will, and if he unwraps and eats it, he’d fucking have indigestion. Is it safe to take an anti-indigestion drug after eating? Or should it be _before_ eating? What the fuck is he worrying about? He’s literally talking to a medical student, for fuck’s sake.

“I have a medical question. Do I take anti-indigestion drugs before or after consuming food?”

“Why? Are you experiencing heartburn right now?” Will puts his food down and moves closer to the camera.

“No, just preparing for indigestion.”

“Oh. You can take one right now or after you’re done.”

“Good to know,” Nico picks up his sandwich, unwraps it, then takes a bite. The bread is a tad bit soggy from the condensation and the cheese has returned to its original state but it’s still a little bit warm and still tasty.

“Jesus, how many did you buy tonight?! That too much grease and fat can’t be good for you.”

“I told you I was deprived for 4 months. In regular times I eat fast food around twice per week. No need to worry.”

“Twice per week? That’s still too frequent.”

“Geez what are you, my dad?” he makes a face and bites a huge chunk of his sandwich.

“Easy, you’re going to make yourself sick.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna get sick.”

Nico gets sick at 3 in the morning.

“Ugh,” Nico groans at the cold porcelain pressing on his cheek, his forehead sweaty. Thank fuck the cleaning services made the whole place spotless yesterday while he was at work. Mrs. O’Leary snuggles at his side, feeling his distress. He pets her head.

He heaves one more time. No more. Good. He spits in the toilet one last time and flushes. He brushes his teeth and drinks one more antacid and goes back to bed. He grabs his phone to text Will.

 **Me**  
I got sick. **3:17**

His phone chimes almost immediately after.

 **Will from the bar 🥵**  
told u so. **3:17** **  
**just drink 1 more then 😴 **3:17** **  
**take it ez w/ food tmrw **3:17**  
if it still hurts by tmrw afternoon u  
shud prolly go 2 d doctor **3:18**

 **Me** **  
**Okay, thanks. **3:18** **  
**I probably should go back to sleep.  
Good night **3:18**

 **Will from the bar 🥵** **  
**sleep tight 😘 **3:19**

 **Me** **  
**Go to sleep. **3:19**

 **Will from the bar 🥵** **  
**i will l8r 😘😘😘 **3:19**

 **Me** **  
****👍** **3:20**

Nico wakes up before his alarm, his stomach still in ‘a mood’. He grumbles all the way to his kitchen and starts his coffee maker. He makes a toast and nibbles on it while waiting for his coffee. Maybe he just needs something warm? Fuck. This sucks ass. He takes a sip of his coffee. It feels nice but still not enough.

He walks for a few blocks to a 7/11 to buy one of those things that you could put in a microwave or freezer for various pains. When he gets back he throws it in his microwave and grumbles still while he waits. He brings the stuff with him in the bedroom and puts it on his stomach. It is warm and comfortable and in a few minutes Nico drifts back to sleep.

A shrill wakes Nico from his sleep. He pinches the bridge of his nose and feels his bed for his phone. He grimaces when he sees the caller; Will, on FaceTime. He clicks accept.

“Hey, Deathboy,”

“Ugh. What time is it?” he squints at his phone, trying his best to look at the time.

“It’s around 4 PM, why?”

Nico groans, “Oh god, I’ve been asleep for almost the whole day.”

“Your stomach still bothering you?”

He doesn’t answer but he’s positive his face says it all.

“Have you gone to the doctor?” Will asks again.

“I just told you, I slept most of the day. Office hours are almost over.”

“That’s not good. Do you at least feel better?”

“It’s better than this morning, sure.”

“I don’t want to tell you to take more medicine but does this happen often?”

“Maybe once every three to four months? I think I have an ulcer but I’m not really sure. My dad took me to the doctor once about it when I was a kid but the doctor just told me to take antacids and that’s what I’ve been doing since.”

“Is it working?”

“Yeah. I mean I’ve never been hospitalized because of it so I think it is.” Nico shrugs.

“I’m not a doctor yet so I’ll say continue what you’re doing? I don’t know.”

“Yeah,” Nico groans and shuffles out of his bedroom. He doesn’t have an appetite but he has to eat.

“Do… you want… some company?” Will’s eyebrows are raised and Nico doesn’t know if his eyes are still bleary but is his face red? He doesn’t want to focus on it.

“I don’t know,” he says. “I guess it would be nice to have company.” Oh shit forgot to give Mrs. O’Leary her breakfast and lunch! He rushes to her food cupboard. Empty. Shit. “Shit, I forgot to buy food for Mrs. O’Leary. Can you buy some? I promise I’ll pay you back.”

“Shuh-sure! Sure, no problem!” Will answers, wide-eyed.

“I’ll text you my address,”

“Okay, I’m going now. Seeyouinabitbye!” Will answers quickly then hangs up.

Nico is still a bit out of it but he manages to microwave his leftover mac & cheese from last night. When it is done, he brings it with him to the living room. He huddles at the corner with Mrs. O’Leary at his feet, with her giving him the most intense sad eyes until he relents and drops a few pasta. She happily eats them. 

A knock on the door 30 minutes later wakes Nico out of his funk. “Come in,” he calls out weakly, “I forgot to lock the door when I got in earlier.”

Will enters the door and if he isn’t the most beautiful thing Nico has ever witnessed today. (Apollo is the most beautiful thing Nico has ever seen in his life, nothing can compare to him)

Will smiles at him and rushes by his side, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Been better,”

“I brought you stuff and Mrs. O’Leary’s food.” Will shows him a paper bag and points at the 10-pound bag by the door.

“Oh yeah,” he starts to stand up but Will pulls him back.

“It’s fine. I can do it,” Will smiles at him again and ruffles his hair. He can’t help but lean back, trapping Will’s hand on his temple.

Will slowly pulls his hand back to him and stands up, whistling at Mrs. O’Leary to follow him. He rummages the cupboards for Mrs. O’Leary’s stuff and Nico can’t help but wonder how awesome it would be to see Will everyday in his kitchen. How good it would be to come home everyday with Will studying in the living room, or sleeping in his room.

Suddenly, Will is by his side again, pulling out things from the paper bag he brought.

“Have you taken another antacid yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Have you had any water since you woke up?”

“No,” he answers.

“Okay.” Will goes to the kitchen again. He’s so tired he can’t even look behind him to see what Will is doing, but he hears the soft rushing of water so he guesses Will is getting him a glass of water. “Here you go,” Will says a moment later, handing him a glass.

“Thanks.”

“Here’s an antacid. Chew it, okay?”

“Chew? I’m supposed to chew it?”

“You’re not chewing it?! Good God,” Will looks at him, shocked.

He giggles, “Gotcha, I’ve been taking it since I was a kid, right?” He pops the medicine in his mouth and chews it. Ugh. Still tastes like toothpaste and chalk. “I usually take the liquid. S’like I’m drinking a mouthwash.”

“You scared me for a minute there,” Will chuckles.

“Have you eaten yet?” He asks. It’s almost dinnertime.

“Nah, it’s fine. I’ll just go somewhere before I go home.”

“I don’t have fresh food but I’ve got a bunch of leftovers from last night.”

“Yeah, because you’ve eaten your bodyweight of junk food last night.”

“Aren’t you kids eat junk food all the time?”

“Hey, I’m not a kid, you’re only a few years older than I am.”

“Yeah, by 4 freaking years. I was already in preschool when you were born.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m not. Help yourself with my food. It’s the least I can do for bringing Mrs. O’Leary food.”

Will goes back for the third time to his kitchen, “Hey, I’m still gonna need that money back.”

Will microwaves some food while Nico turns his TV on and goes channel surfing. He settles for Netflix after a few minutes and plays Adventure Time. Will returns a few moments later with a plate of steaming pizza on it and a glass of tea. “It’s cranberry and hibiscus. I don’t know how you drink your tea but I already put a spoon of brown sugar in it. Hope you don’t mind.”

Nico eyes the tea, his chest already warming up. “I don’t. Drink tea, I mean,” he says. Will’s face looks so dejected.

“Oh, then let me just,” he attempts to grab it but Nico swats his hand away.

“Nope. This is mine,” Nico brings it to his lips and takes a sip. He looks at Will the entire time. “Ah, it tastes like ass,” he grimaces.

Will guffaws. He throws his head all the way back and clutches his chest (left tit?) as he continues to laugh loudly, surprising Mrs. O’Leary. “It doesn’t taste like ass, you ass! It tastes like cranberry! And whatever hibiscus actually tastes like. And how do you even know what ass tastes like?”

“Hm, I may or may not have some experiences,” he throws him a glance before putting back his tea on the coffee table.

“You should finish that. It’s good for you,”

“I know, I know. It’s too hot, I’m gonna let it cool for a few minutes first.”

“Alright,”

Will sits closer and they watch a few episodes of Adventure Time in silence. Not long after the second episode is done, Will starts to play with his hair and it feels nice (really fucking nice). He has finished his tea a few episodes ago so add that to the little scalp scratches Will is giving him and he's feeling pretty euphoric. After the 6th episode, Nico feels a little loopy. Aw man, he has been sleeping for the most part of the day, how is he sleepy--again?! He yawns.

“Are you sleepy?”

“Hm? No, it’s what, 7:30? I’m not sleepy,” he yawns again.

“You’re sleepy, come on. But drink another glass of water before going back to bed.” Nico goes back to the kitchen and drinks another glass. Will is waiting for him at his front door, ready to leave.

“I’m sorry I made you come here to bring me Mrs. O’Leary’s food and eat leftover pizza and watch TV,” he pouts then remembers that he should pay Will back. He runs to his room, grabs a few cash from his pants in the hamper then rushes back to the front door and hands them to Will. “For the dog food,” he says.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m happy to help." He gently pushes Nico's outstretched hand back, "Plus, I got to see your bachelor’s pad.” Will grins at him.

“That’s not fair. I told you I’ll pay you back.”

“And I’m telling you, it’s fine. I was just kidding earlier.”

“You’re a medical student, Will. Students don’t typically have money unless they’re filthy rich. Are you filthy rich?”

“No, but my parents are so don’t worry.”

Oh yikes, he’s rich. Nico definitely did not think that was a possibility. He always thought college students are constantly struggling. Well, not really _struggling_ struggling but they always need extra money, you know? Like when you’re a kid, you don’t really need money but when someone gives you some you thank them for it. He was like that in college. He’s got a scholarship but he still had a monthly allowance from his dad so he didn’t complain.

Henry di Angelo might be a little absent to his kids, but he sure knows how to make his children feel secure.

Nico sheepishly stuffs his money back in his pocket. Oh god he forgot he’s still wearing his sleep shorts. His neon orange sleep shorts. 

Will is leaning on his door frame, arms folded and grinning charmingly. He studies the blond carefully, then Nico tugs his shirt down and kisses him on the lips, chaste and sweet.

Nico does not know if it’s his stomach taking over his brain or Hazel sensed that Will’s in his house and made the move for him, but he kisses him and it kind of feels right.

He lets go, Will gawks at him. He feels himself blush then shuts the door in Will’s face. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk to me on [Tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask)!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'm not going to be able to post this today, but I made it!

What.

The.

**_Fuck._ **

Can tapeworms travel from stomach to brain via the bloodstream? He should google that one because that is **THE ONLY FUCKING EXPLANATION WHY HE KISSED WILL**. 

“Oh fuck fuck fuck fuck,” he mutters to himself as he goes to his kitchen to splash water in his face. “Oh _dio mio_ ,” he was ready to pass the fuck out in his bed literally 3 minutes ago but now he feels like he just bathed in espresso.

 _It’s fine. You’re sick. You can tell him you don’t remember anything. That should get you out of this situation. Wait, is that… true? Is ‘fever dream’ even real? One more shit to google. You should fucking know that. You’re a fucking writer, for fuck’s sake! Aw fuck, you don’t have a fever! You have indigestion you fucking moron!_

“Ooh boy,” he drinks another glass of water then beelines to his bedroom, shutting the door to Mrs. O’Leary’s face before opening it again to let her in.

His bladder is going to act up later but fuck that, he needs to be alone with his dog in these trying times.

He taps his bed, signaling Mrs. O’Leary to jump in. She immediately nuzzles her head under Nico’s chin, her puffy hair tickling his neck and nose. He laughs as he pets her, momentarily forgetting what he did not even 30 minutes ago.

_You kissed Will._

“OH SHIT!” He screams, spooking Mrs. O’Leary for the second time that evening. His brain supplies himself again with images (from outside perspective? How the fu...) of his deed on the threshold of his home. He shakes his head, willing them to go away.

Mrs. O’Leary looks at him quizzically, and when it is clear that she’s going to get nothing from Nico, she wiggles her tail and slumps her head back under his jaw.

Nico pets Mrs. O’Leary for about 30% of the night. Then he spends the other 30% in the bathroom, pissing, splashing water in his face, and drinking half a glass of water after every time he pisses because his stomach somehow likes that. The other 30% is obsessing over little details like how soft Will’s lips were or how he had too many freckles and how shockingly blue his eyes were. And the other 10% is trying to forget what happened because goddamn that was idiotic!

He passes out at 1:30 in the morning.

  
  


Nico jolts awake at 6:30 AM, dream slowly fading away from his mind. He groans and stretches and blinks at the ceiling. “ _Uuugh_ ,” he groans again, remembering what he did last night.

He groans as he changes into his running gear. He groans while he locks up his apartment. He groans as he runs with Mrs. O’Leary around the neighborhood. He forgets for a grand total of 28 minutes before seeing a door and remembering it all over again. He groans as they run back to their building and groans as he unlocks his apartment. He groans while preparing Mrs. O’Leary’s meal and groans as he climbs in the shower.

_It’s okay. It’s fine. He’ll forget about it. Just don’t call him. That’s bonkers, you never call him, he always calls you. When he calls, just answer it. Don’t make it weird. It’ll be weirder if you don’t accept his calls._

He knows he’s behaving like a high school girl but he couldn’t care less. It’s not like he’s going to tell Hazel everything that’s on his mind, right? He can be as stereotypical as he wants, no one will judge him in this apartment except himself.

\----

Nico arrives at the set as per Thalia and Reyna’s request a few days later. He’s already had 5 days straight of rest so he’s pumped to go to work again. From what he had heard a few weeks ago, they will set a meeting today for the photoshoots for the promo poster and other stuff that the marketing department needs.

Apollo and the others still have at least 2 weeks of shooting left then they will edit, insert some animation and music, do some ADR if the audio gets messy, then they review to know if they need reshoots and whatnot. Nico doesn’t really pay attention to the other departments in post-production even though he has to, and he’ll probably continue doing so even after this. He can learn the process if he wants to, really. He’s just not interested.

In the end, he makes a few changes in the script with Grover and the other writers and attends a meeting that could have been an email and then he is on his way home.

Just as the gossips had said, the photoshoot is set three days after the principal photography ends. It would probably only last for a day or less if they all behave (Apollo is infamous for dragging every shoot he’s in because of him goofing around with his costars and staff). They give Nico an overview of what is going to happen at the shoot; a solo for his character profile, a couple with Apollo since he’s the anti-hero’s paramour, cast photo, etc etc. It’s probably not that hard since he won’t be bringing in his own clothes for the shoot. They will have makeup artists and stylists on set to dress them up and make them look extra pretty and airbrushed for the camera.

He drives around after leaving the studio, wind whipping past his helmet-covered face. It’s a nice day (afternoon) to ride his motorcycle.

He stops by the University of New Rome for no reason whatsoever. Okay, he’s still freaking out about what he did that Friday night, but it’s already Wednesday and it’s not bothering him more than he thought it would anymore. He kissed Will, so what? He kisses people all the time. And Will is a handsome man, he’s sure that women (and men?) are throwing themselves at him on a weekly basis (not daily since he’s a medical student and he needs to study) so he’s probably kissing a lot of people too. It’s fine. He’s fine.

He parks his huge ass bike and goes inside. He blends in easily since he’s small and quite has the babyface, much to his dismay since he’s literally a few months away from being in his 30s and he still gets carded every single time he goes to a freaking bar. 

He reckons it’s almost the summer break since some students are leaving with suitcases and duffel bags, yelling _It’s summer, bitches!_ at the top of their lungs. Does summer break include med students? Will is what, 24 turning 25? So he’s probably in his junior year. What do they even do in junior year of med school?

With a quick (and questionable) google search, Nico finds out junior students start their rotation. Whatever the fuck that means, Nico does not know.

He grabs a map of the university from the nearby building and good lord this place is huge. The school of medicine is at the far end of the university, near the medical plaza so there is most certainly no way he’s going to see Will unless he intentionally goes all the way there. Great. Cool beans.

He walks around, looking at the different buildings and the students running around or lounging under the trees. Twice he was approached by strangers, asking where the student center is and if he’s seen Mr. Chiron or whatever. Both of them were surprised when he told them he’s not a student.

 _“Oh, I thought you were an undergrad,”_ _  
_ _“I’m not.”_

And

 _“Are you sure? You look 17 at most,”_ _  
_ _“My driver’s license says otherwise,”_

He finds a small restaurant that serves pizza so he settles there to eat. He is about to take his first bite when he hears a voice behind him.

“Nico?”

Oh shit.

He turns his head, “Hey… Cecil, Lou Ellen,” he says, smiling awkwardly at them.

“What are you doing here, man?” Lou Ellen asks, sitting down in one of the empty chairs in front of him. Cecil follows. “Do you have a new picture of your dog?”

“Yes,” he fishes his phone out of his pocket and shows Lou Ellen his new wallpaper: Mrs. O’Leary standing on her hind legs with a pink bow on her head.

“I could fucking cry,” she fake sniffles, clutching the phone to her chest. “It’s been a really stressful week. Will you email this to me?” She gives him back his phone.

He takes his phone back, “Sure,” and sends Lou Ellen a bunch of Mrs. O’Leary’s pictures after she gives him her WhatsApp address. “You wanna eat?” He asks, offering them the pizza.

“Are you for real, man?!” Cecil asks, giving him a look of disbelief. 

“Yeah, sure. My treat” He gestures to his waiter for a menu and gives it to them. Both of them quickly order their food. A few minutes later, their food arrives and they dig in like they haven’t been fed in two days.

“Omf, sorry,” Lou Ellen says, fanning his mouth. “We dont uhuawy behabe wike dis.” She chews and repeats herself, “We don’t usually behave like this.”

Cecil blows air on his lasagna “Yeah, sorry. It’s been really hectic and we all haven’t had a proper meal in days. We just got out of the lab and we only have 30 minutes of free time today.” He looks at his watch, “scratch that, we only have 24 more minutes today.”

Nico excuses himself and goes inside the restaurant to order two boxes of pizza. It’s the least he could do for these hardworking students. Are they filthy rich like Will too? Whatever, he wants to feed the college students so he’s going to.

He goes back to their table and eats a slice.

“So, what brought you here?” Lou Ellen asks again, sipping her iced tea.

“Nothing. I just got out of a meeting and I wanted to eat pizza.”

“There are a lot of pizzeria downtown,” Cecil mentions.

“Yeah but… someone told me there’s a place here that serves good pizza.” Good save, di Angelo.

Lou Ellen and Cecil look at each other, then at him.

“That’s Gerardo’s and it’s over there,” Lou Ellen points behind her. 

“Oh, alright. Then maybe I’ll try their food some time.”

They wolf down their food and drinks while Nico eats leisurely. He’s still in his second slice when they take their last bites of gooey pasta.

“That was really good. Thank you so much, Nico. You’re a lifesaver!” Cecil groans.

“Don’t mention it,” he lifts the two boxes that the waiter gave him earlier and passes it to them, “Here.”

“What’s this?” Lou Ellen raises an eyebrow.

“It’s pizza. For dinner. Or snack,”

“Oh Nico you didn’t have to! Cecil and I can buy something at the cafeteria!”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind. Think of it as a good luck food? I don’t know.” He rubs a hand in his face. “I feel like a fucking uncle giving treats to his nieces and nephews.”

They laugh at that. “Thank you, Nico! We really appreciate it.” Cecil says.

Cecil hugs Nico and Lou Ellen gives him a kiss on the cheek then they’re on their way to god knows where. Nico finishes his pizza in silence then pays and leaves, not wanting to tempt Fate by staying longer than necessary.

\----

“So how are you?” Hazel greets him.

“Eh, can’t complain,” he shrugs.

“No Will-related rants today?” Frank asks.

“Nothing, Franklin. In fact, we haven’t talked in like a week.”

“YO GUYS! MEET CALYPSO!” Leo pushes the restaurant door so hard the bell at the top almost breaks.

“Leo!” The girl behind him--Calypso, oh it’s the girl Leo flirted with last time!--giggles.

“Hey, Leo.” The three of them say in unison.

“Hello, you’re the lady last time, right?” Hazel opens her arms for a hug which she gladly accepts.

“Yes, that’s me. You can call me Caly,” she smiles at them.

Frank gives a polite hello and shakes her hand while Nico gives her a nod and a ‘hey’ then shakes her hand as well.

Leo pulls Caly’s chair for her then gives her a kiss on the cheek before sitting down. “So, what did we miss?”

“You did not miss anything. Nico was just telling us why he and Will haven’t talked in a week.”

“There’s nothing to tell, really. I met his friends yesterday and they said they’ve been swamped with school work they haven’t eaten properly in days, so I gave them pizza.”

“Yesterday? So you’re saying you went to UNR yesterday to meet with his friends?” Frank raises an eyebrow at him.

Nico makes a face, “No. I was just at UNR yesterday. They saw me and I asked them if they wanted food.” He waves his hands around to make a point.

“Why were you at UNR?” Leo asks, sipping his soda.

“Nothing. I was just there.”

“Uh-huh, you were just there. Okay. That sounds believable.” Hazel snickers.

Leo scrunches his eyebrows and leans closer to the table. “Walk with me again, so after the meeting with Thalia and Reyna and _The Gang,_ that I specifically remember you complaining that ‘this could’ve been an email. I can’t wait to go home,’” he imitates Nico’s voice which earns a giggle from Caly. “You went to the school where your boytoy is attending, which, if I remember correctly, is in the opposite of your usual route, and had a little afternoon _merienda_ with his friends?”

“If you say it like that it sounds ridiculous--”

“It _is_ ridiculous,” Hazel interjects.

Nico glares at her sister. She flashes her with a cute smile, “It sounds ridiculous, but I was honestly just driving around, and then I was there. I didn’t even go to the school of medicine, I was just by the student rec center. The restaurants and cafes were there.”

“Yeah, that’s true. The school of medicine is way at the back. I’ve only been there twice.” Caly shares. “I think I even saw you yesterday. Were you wearing black?”

“He’s wearing black all the time, babe. You have to be more specific, like, is he wearing onyx? Ebony? Grease? Coal? Spider? Is he wearing his aviator jacket, leather, hoodie, or bomber? Combat boots or his black converse?”

Caly rolls her eyes but smiles, “Shut up. Bomber jacket, white shirt, black jeans, and brown leather gloves,”

“Wow, you have a good memory. Yep, that was me.” Nico pops a raspberry in his mouth.

“Thanks. I need it for my job,” she takes a bite out of her bagel. “I heard you with that girl, the one who asked if you’d seen Professor Chiron.” She looks at Hazel, Frank, and Leo. “Then she said he looked like a 17-year-old.” They all laugh while Nico scowls at his caramel macchiato.

“What do you do at UNR?” Hazel asks Caly.

“Oh, I teach Ancient Civilization.”

“Wow, that is so impressive!” Frank's eyes widened with wonder. “I’ve always wanted to study ancient civ,”

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t you? It’s really interesting,”

“Yeah but I kinda like what I’m doing right now too,”

“Oh, you’re a broadway actor, right? And you too Hazel?”

“Yeah, we are,” Hazel grins at her.

“That is amazing! I know Leo works in technical, but what about you Nico?”

“I’m just a writer,”

“Oh don’t be fooled, Caly,” Leo interrupts. “He’s good. Not like _me_ good but I guess he’s like their _me_ in his department.”

“Did you know Leo is known for his humility?” Nico tells Caly. She laughs at that.

“Oh yes, he’s _so_ humble it would put all the modern saints in shame,” she kisses Leo’s cheek.

Then it hits Nico that he’s fifth-wheeling in his own damn brunch.

“What the fuck, am I fifth-wheeling in my own damn brunch?”

“If you stop being a chicken and ask Will out, you won’t have to be the fifth wheel every time we go out,” Frank says.

“Oh shut up. You’ve seen Will, right? And of course you’ve seen me,” he gestures at himself. “We’d look like heaven and hell.”

“I never thought of that! But now that you’ve mentioned it, then yeah, I can see it now,” Hazel protests. “What the hell, Nico! Is that what you think about all the time? Is that the reason why you won’t ask Will out?”

“Wait, are we talking about Wilhelm? That gorgeous, blond medical student Wilhelm S-something?” Caly asks urgently.

“Wilhelm?” They all ask simultaneously.

“His first name is Wilhelm?” Nico bursts out laughing. “That is the stupidest fucking name ever! What is he, 80? Oh my god!” He’s shaking his head, face red from laughing too hard. “Oh man, I don’t care that we’re not talking right now, I have to fucking text him!”

 **Me**   
Your real name is Wilhelm?! That is so fucking stupid! 😂😂😂😂😂 **13:19**

His phone alerts him of a new message immediately.

 **WILHELM!!! 🥵**   
HOW DID U KNO THAT??????!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER TOLD U THAT!!!!!!!!!! **13:20**

 **Me**   
[image attachment: brunch.jpeg] **13:20**

 **WILHELM!!! 🥵**   
IS THAT MISS KRIVON???? R U HAVING BRUNCH WITH MISS KRIVON????? **13:20**

 **Me**   
Yes 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 **13:21**

Still laughing, he pockets his phone.

“Oh my god!” She turns to Leo. “So that picture you showed me months ago, that was Wilhelm?!”

“Yes! That was him!” Leo chuckles. “Sexy, right?”

“Aw, oh my god! I objectified one of my former students!” She groans and slaps her forehead with her palm.

“Don’t worry about it, babe. I don’t remember what you said but I’m pretty sure it’s tame.”

“Dear Lord, you showed me his nude!”

“Correction, _almost_ nude!”

“As if that makes a difference! The dip of his hips was there! For fuck’s sake ”

Nico and Leo continue to cackle while Caly groans. Hazel and Frank alternate from chuckling and eating.

“And jesus his pubes and dong neck!” Leo full on guffaws.

“THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT WHEN I GOT IT!” Nico shakes with laughter as he remembers. Oh the shock that gave him when he received it.

Caly shudders, “Anyway, you and Wilhelm, huh,”

It is Nico’s turn to groan, “No, nothing like that.”

“How did you two meet, by the way?”

“Oh, oh! It was such a cute story! Nico got stood up by a comedian on their date because the comedian’s childhood friend, who he’s had feelings with since they were literally 13, told him he loves him. What was his name again, Nico? Rico something Tee? Tell her, tell her!” she moves her hand as if to say ‘go on’. Nico rolls his eyes at her.

“It was Richie,”

“Richie Tozier?!”

“Shh! Yes, it was him. Then I got drunk in a bar and I mistook Will as a waiter.”

“Oh god!”

“I know, right? Then he ditched his friends and sat with me. After that he took me to this small ass dog park to clear my head then he drove me back to my apartment,”

“Aww!” She puts her hands on her chest, “That was so sweet! I’m surprised you didn’t kiss him then and there!”

“Right?!” Hazel squeals. Frank grins and nods his head.

“He’s such a gentleman, that boy. And really sweet. He took my class for a semester for fun once,” In which Frank whispers ‘for fun?!’ at Hazel, “and he gave me a rose and a candy bar that Valentine’s Day. If he were my age I would’ve totally melted on the spot.”

“Ugh, if I were you I would’ve totally melted on the spot. Age difference be damned.”

“Easy for you to say you’re only 2 years older than him,” Nico rolls his eyes again.

“Psh, you’re selling yourself short, Nico. 4 years isn’t that much older.” 

“Didn’t you have, like, a mini meltdown because you thought Hazel was gonna think you were a creep when you made a move on her?”

Frank blushes hard, “Shut up, that was years ago.”

“Aw, you’re such a teddy bear I would never think you were a creep!” Hazel pulls Frank down to kiss his cheek.

Nico rolls his eyes at them once more. His eyeballs sure are having their workout in this brunch.

He crosses his legs and leans back to his chair, his left elbow on the top rail. “So Caly, how did Leo land such an amazing woman?”

Caly blushes, “Oh stop it, you. After showing me the nude pic of my former student,” Leo says ‘almost’ as she pinches his cheek, “You all left after a few minutes, right? Well he went back and made a fool of himself in front of me and my friends. He made me laugh so hard so I gave him my number and we didn’t really stop talking ever since,”

“I’m a lucky man!” Leo singsongs and beams at them then plants a peck on Caly’s lips. She smiles at him with the same intensity it makes Nico incredibly jealous for one hot second. 

He looks away, a bit ashamed of himself for feeling jealous. Of course his friend can have that. Leo deserves that. Doesn’t he deserve that too?

 _Then what the fuck are you waiting for?_ It’s not that fucking easy. _Uh, yes it fucking is._ Shut up.

\----

**[WILHELM!!! 🥵 FaceTime…]**

“Hey,”

“Hey Neeks,”

“Not too swamped now on school shit?” Pushes his hair back, attempting to fix it.

“Uh, yeah. It went great.”

“Cool.” He tousles and combs his hand through. “What’s up?”

“Um, nothing much,” Will looks around, “You’re friends with Miss Krivon, huh?”

“Caly?”

“Yeah, ‘Caly’,”

“She’s dating one of my friends. She’s a cool lady,”.

“Yeah she is. I really liked her,”

“She’s very likable.” Nico knows that their conversation is bland, but he’s just playing along with whatever Will wants.

“Um...” Will ruffles his hair. It’s longer than usual. He must’ve been too busy to have it cut.

“Hm?” He checks himself at the camera.

“About… the other day,”

“What about the other day?” Okay, here it is. It’s finally happening.

“Just… nevermind,” Will chuckles. Nico does not know whether to be relieved or disappointed. “What are you up to?”

“I’m about to...” he trails off, “Just a minute.” A message from Frank.

 **Francis**   
Sorry, Nico. It looks like we come down early after all. Hazel has to record one last song for the OCR. She said she’ll text you if she’s done. It’s not going to take more than 2 hours, I promise. **19:32**

 **Me**   
Ok. **19:32**

He turns his camera on again, “Sorry about that. Apparently I’m free for two hours.”

“Why? Am I keeping you?”

“No, no. My sister, his boyfriend, and I are supposed to drink tonight, but she got held up at work.”

“Kinda early to be drinking, yes?”

“Hm, yeah but we’re eating first _then_ we’ll go to the bar,” This is nice. Let’s all pretend nothing happened days ago.

“Where are you?”

Nico looks around, “I’m in Park Twich, actually,”

“Really? That’s where my apartment is!”

“I know. You gave me your address, right?”

“Yeah… right.”

“Guess I’ll just hang around here until my sister comes. You know any place where I can sit in silence around here?” The place is loud, and being close to UNR means bars and clubs are _filled_ with college students. The only perk Nico could think of is that the drinks are surely cheap.

“Well, Cecil is over at Billie so you can hang out here while you wait for your sister,”

Nico lifts an eyebrow and purses his lips, studying Will. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure! We can watch movies, get a lil handsy, you know.” He grins at him. Alright, he’s back to his flirting. That is kind of reassuring.

“Okay.” He quickly copies Will’s address from his inbox and pastes it on google maps. “Would you look at that, I’m only a block away from your place,” and starts to walk.

“For real?”

“Yep, I’m on my way.”

“Holy shit! Holy shit, Nico I’m just kidding! Hey!” Will protests. His hair flopping in his face as he picks up stuff from the floor.

“Nope, too late. I’m already walking.”

“Hey, stop! I’m just kidding! My place is a mess!”

“It’s fine. I don't care, it’s just stuff.”

"No! Fuck, wait! You can't! My mom would know!"

"You live with a roommate, dumbass. I'm literally close."

Will shrieks.

“I’m at your building. Buzz me in, blondie.”

“Holy shit! Nico I was just kidding!”

“Nico!” A woman’s voice calls behind him. He turns his head and sure enough, it’s his sister, sticking half of her body out of the window of Frank’s car. “We’re here! I convinced them to do the recording tomorrow!”

Nico turns to his phone again, “You’re lucky they’re already here.”

“Oh thank fuck. I was just kidding!”

“Shame. I was looking forward to seeing your place. Okay, bye.” He ends the call before Will could respond and pockets his phone.  
  


He purses his lips, a little bit annoyed from her sister interrupting, but they have a scheduled appointment and she always comes first so he doesn't complain. He walks back to his bike and thinks of the things that could have happened if he did get to Will's place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I google translated "conceal" in Greek bc "calypso" means "to conceal" according to Wikipedia. I'm sorry if I butchered it or something. I just don't want to beat myself to think of a white-sounding family name for Calypso, since "technically" she's not white. 
> 
> Wait, are Greeks considered white?
> 
> Anyway, I'm on [Tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask)
> 
> For the record, I don't think the name "Wilhelm" is stupid. I know, I know, Will's name is "William", I just thought Nico would have a field day if he finds out Will is not really a William. And also Apollo thinks he's hilarious when he named him Wilhelm, like Peter when he changed Meg's name to Megatron in Family Guy.
> 
> Oh yeah, Mrs. O'Leary in this story is a standard poodle. At first I imagined her to be a french bulldog, then a mastiff. But then I deeply considered french bulldog again, then I read in her Wikia page that the Mist makes her look like a standard poodle so it's a no brainer, she has to be a standard poodle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting earlier than usual since I have to go somewhere on Saturday and I just really want to let this chapter out in the world now.
> 
> I want to properly focus when Taylor drops his new album tomorrow 🤣🤣

Nico tugs his undershirt again. “God, this neckline is annoying,” he mutters to himself while the makeup artist continues to tame his hair, make it more believable that it belongs to a police officer, which is stupid because his hair is _definitely_ not up to police standards. He doesn’t have shoulder-length hair but it is unquestionably _longer_ than what a police officer should have.

“Oh suck it up, babe. You’ll only wear that uniform for an hour at most.” She brushes some hair out of his face. “Then I’ll let you wear another one and another one and another one until the director says you’re done.”

Nico grimaces. “Tell me why I agreed to this?” he asks Sheena, one of the artists fixing him up, as he tugs his undershirt, again, for the 7325th time that day.

“I dunno. Because you love the craft? It pays good money? You’re contractually obligated to do so? There are a lot of reasons. Why did _you_ agree to this?”

“Don’t verbally Uno Reverse Card me, Sheena.”

She laughs. “Then don’t ask me stupid questions.”

They finally call Nico. They ask him to go to the designated spot to pose _naturally_. Click. Photoshoots are fucking weird.

The director and photographer discuss something then ask him to shift and look ahead of him and put his hands in his pocket. _Click click_ . Then look at the camera. _Click_ . He does those and more. _Click click click click_.

They ask him to sit at the edge of a desk. The set designers placed a bunch of folders and papers and other knick knacks on it to look like a proper office desk. And they tell him to look at something in his north-west. He has to mentally do the N-E-W-S thing to figure out where’s his north-west. _Click click click_.

They thank him before asking him to change for the next round of photos.

A stylist quickly hands him his change of clothes; a tank top over a seaweed-colored long sleeve shirt, a pair of comfortable black jeans, and chelsea boots. He remembers wearing the style when ‘Gio’ is supposed to be doing undercover work.

Sheena is all over him again when he emerges from the changing room, quickly touching up the foundation that has melted from his face under the heat of the lights. He sits still and obeys her whenever she asks him to look at a certain spot.

When he’s finished at the chair, he grabs some food for Sheena and orange juice for himself. She thanks him and they eat (and drink) while they wait. 

They’re taking photographs in pairs now. It is currently Alice Miyazawa and Venus McDowell’s turn, Det. Quincy Santa Maria and Capt. Kaori Miller. Then it will be Silena, Austin, and Laurel’s turn as Lilou Powell, Jonah Riggs, and Miles Astilla, the crime scene investigators who often work alongside Det. Quincy Santa Maria. After that, it will be his and Apollo’s turn as Lester Perry and Giulio Mitchell. Second from the last will be Apollo and Venus’ turn. The last one will be a group photo of the season 2 cast, of course.

They are not going to be intimate in the photos, maybe just a little touching and caressing and shit but nothing like making out or something, so Nico isn’t so worried.

He plays with his phone, sending weird pictures and videos to Hazel, Frank, and even the Stolls for entertainment. He snaps a few ones with the crew and other people and posts them in his _newly made_ Instagram and Twitter accounts, for promotion of course. He doesn’t have that many followers yet. The last time he checked it was only 36, and he _gathered_ those people by posting 3 behind-the-scenes photos with the ‘hashtag’ (god he hates that word) _#PGS3;_ a photo of the police station with half of Apollo’s back visible in the dark (he was already leaving), a take-out cup with ‘Kiki’ written on it, and a photo of Thalia covering half her face and flipping him off. 

He’s posted more photos since then but only mundane things; occasional lizards and cats that wandered in the set, two fighting rats when they were on location, a child trying his best to eat his ice cream without removing his horse mask, and a lot more. The few people who noticed his account thought he was just part of the production. Which he is, or was. Is it still ‘is’ since he wrote some of the episodes before he became part of the cast?

Of course his 36 followers will surely grow the moment the marketing team starts promoting the show and tag him in their SNS accounts, but for now he’s having fun taking 5-second videos of the crew and the snack table to post it on his twitter account. 

He never posts his face, but he might do it the moment the first trailer drops.

A lady, which is probably the photographer’s assistant, informs him that it is finally his and Apollo’s turn. He follows her to the set that is arranged to look like a part of ‘Lester’s’ apartment.

At 5’7, Apollo towers him by 10 inches. Patrick Jackson and Dina Gardner told him once that their height difference is perfect for their _arrangement_ in the show, whatever the fuck that means. Well, he _kind of_ knew what that meant but he just gave them an awkward smile and brushed the comment off. Yeah, he’s gay and likes his men _tall_ , but that’s not exclusive to gay men. If it were the case then gay men over 6’4 can’t date anyone because as far as he knows there are only a _handful_ of men over 6’4, and there are only two names he can drop: Lee Pace and Stephen Fry. One is married and one has a partner. 

Following that logic, they should date each other since they both stand at 195.5 cm.

Imagine being that tall. Literally you are the tallest person in every. Single. Room. Except when you attend a party with NBA players present.

“...to di Angelo? Hello? Hey, buddy? Nicholas, Niccolo, Nikola, Nico!” Apollo waves his hands in front of him.

“W-what?”

“Leah gave instructions already,”

“Oh. Okay.” He shifts his attention to Leah, the director, “Sorry, I got distracted. What was the instruction again?”

“Just look far behind me like you’re in a trance, that’s it. Apollo will place his hand behind your ear, yes, just like that, and whisper something. Yes, that’s it. Okay.”

The clicking of the camera starts and soon they’re looking at the pictures, studying if they want to take more or proceed with the next group.

Apollo looks extra critical with the photos, obviously looking for flaws and other excuses to prolong the shoot.

Nico whines, “Apollo it looks fine to me,”

“Just hold your horses, di Angelo, I’m still looking. Maybe we could do another round to make our photo _spicier_ ,”

“It doesn’t need to be spicier, that’ll just give away my character’s motivation.” He points at a picture where Apollo whispers something in his ear while looking seductively at the camera. He looks stupid. This is unfair. “If the audience doesn't figure out what’s up when they see this then I don’t know what could anymore.”

“Fine, fine. Go on.” He turns to the director. “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect,” she says. “We can proceed with you and Venus.”

“Alright. Off you go, Nico.”

“Ugh. Finally!”

Sheen fusses with his hair again. He lets her because that’s literally her job. She gives him his last change of clothes and he’s on his way to change for the third time that day.

His third set of clothes consists of a thin, white round-neck shirt, black pants, and a denim jacket. Now it’s more like him, except for the denim jacket of course.

The group photos went great as far as Nico is concerned.

They went out of the studio, just around the studio’s compound, in one of the narrow roads, but the set designers made the whole place look like they were in a dingy back alley.

Nico stood at the back since he’s a new character and, frankly, not that important. If the audience responds to his character positively, he might still be on the 4th season. But if not, of course he could write himself out if the studio execs order him so.

They give Nico a copy of his character photo, which he gladly accepts. He still thinks it’s a bit weird but whatever, he could put this in a portfolio or something. Does this count as a headshot? If he pursues acting again, could he send this as his headshot? He’ll just ask an agent if he decides to push this through.

He snaps a photo of it and sends it to Hazel

 **Me**  
They gave me this lol **18:30**

 **Sis**  
that is so cool! are you going to frame it? **18:30**

 **Me**  
What am I, 80? I’ll probably scan it and store in my computer **18:31**  
And then forget about it **18:31**

 **Sis**  
if you dont want it let me keep it for you **18:32**

 **Me**  
Are you going to use my face to spook rats away? **18:33**

 **Sis**  
maybe **18:33**

 **Me**  
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 **18:33**

Nico drives back to his apartment and takes Mrs. O’Leary for a run.

\---

It is now 7:00 PM. 

Nico is contemplating whether to cook this ‘Bang Bang Cauliflower’ (from delish.com) or just say fuck it and order a Big Mac with some chicken nuggets and a fuckload of fries.

It takes only 10 minutes to prepare the cauliflower but he needs to wait for 35-40 minutes before he can eat it. If he leaves now and drives to the nearest McDonalds, he could finish his dinner before 7:30. But what is he going to do until 11 PM? At least if he cooks, he could maybe finish eating at 8:10. He’d only have 2 hours and 50 minutes to wait. He could still finish a whole movie with that.

A piercing scream from his pocket pulls him out of his dinner thoughts. It’s a call from either Reyna or Thalia. He fishes his phone out and hits accept.

“Yes?”

 _“Nico!”_ It’s Thalia.

“What is it now?”

_“This is an invitation for the wrap up party since I know you don’t check your email after you’re done with your job.”_

“Okay. Where is it this time?”

“June 25th. The Copper Fox. 8 PM. Don’t be late.” And hangs up. 

Alright. “McDonald’s it is,” Nico whispers to himself as he rubs Mrs. O’Leary’s chin. He retrieves his car keys and locks the door behind him.

He remembers he ran out of whole milk a few days ago so with a grumble, Nico turns around and goes to the nearest Target to buy groceries.

He grabs a cart and strolls inside, frantically typing for things he thinks are running low in his house; milk, dog food, his shampoo, Mrs. O’Leary’s shampoo, facial wash, orange juice, that coconut yogurt at the back of the cooler, tubs of ice cream, pork, beef, fish. Is he running out ketchup? Better get ketchup just in case. Bouillon cubes. Onions and garlic. Basil, mozzarella, cheese, flour, yeast. What else does he need to make his own pizza? Ah, yes, tomatoes.

He fishes out his earphones from his pocket, plugs it in, and presses play.

Nico is in the middle of picking onions when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He ignores it, thinking someone just bumped into him. Clumsy people, am I right? He finally turns around when he feels another tap, pulling a bud out from his ear.

“What the fuck, bud...dy,” his eyes widen. “Jason? What the fuck!”

The blond beams at him, “Hey, Neeks!” He pulls him in immediately for a tight hug. Nico did not open his arms in time so they’re trapped on his side while Jason squeezes the life out of him.

Jason releases him from the hug but his hands are still on his biceps. “How are you, Nico? It’s been a few years!” He hugs him again.

Nico smiles awkwardly at him, eyes darting around the place, looking if there’s someone he knows or if Jason is here with someone. He laughs nervously, “What are you doing here, buddy?”

“Shopping, what else?”

“I don’t know, buddy. Maybe you just wandered off and decided to go inside this particular Target.” He should really stop saying ‘buddy’.

“No, I’m with someone. Pipes is back there picking up vegetables.”

A tall, _beautiful_ lady approaches them and asks Jason. “Jase, did you grab the thing I told you about?”

“Sorry, Pipes. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. And I ran into a friend!” He points at Nico with his thumb.

Nico doesn’t often feel starstruck. He works with actors and actresses on a daily basis, for fuck’s sake! But this lady. This beautiful woman in front of him, who is apparently Jason’s girlfriend, is taking his breath away.

“Hi! I’m Piper!” She holds out her hand at him.

He cautiously accepts the shake, “Uh, hi?” What the fuck, are you asking her di Angelo? “I’m Nico.”

She pulls him in and oh, she’s a hugger. “Nice to meet you!” She ducks a little bit. Ugh, tall people. Dear lord she smells magnificent.

“Nice to meet you too,” his awkward smile permanently etched in his face.

“Jase, I’m going over there. See you later, yeah?” She leans in for a quick kiss on the lips which Jason returns.

“Sure, Pipes.” She struts away, pushing the cart in front of her.

It is now that Nico understands the ‘I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave’ cliché shit. 

Even other people, men AND women, are looking at her walk away. She’s that gorgeous.

Piper is probably kind too since he looks like a drowned rat but she still chose to hug him.

Jason looks really happy watching her walk away too. When she’s gone, he looks back at him and clasps his hands, “So, what have we got here?”

He removes the other bud from his ear and wraps it around his phone then stuffs it back in his pocket. “Stop that, you look middle-aged,”

“What? I just clasped my hand!”

“Nobody below forty does that.” Nico rolls his cart away from him but Jason immediately grabs it, tugging the cart back in its place.

“Hey, hey, wait!”

“What?”

“It’s been years, Nico.” He looks at Nico earnestly and god fuck this is too much! “I really miss you.” Nico’s determination crumbles.

He gives a sigh and shakes his head. He looks at him with eyes softer than he ever gave him. “I miss you too, Jason.”

Jason joins him in grocery shopping, exchanging stories and helping him reach for the stuff on the high shelves for him. Catching up for a little bit. He knows Jason is going to ask him for his number soon, and that he’s going to ask him for a drink to properly catch up and discuss what happened to them way back. And he’s going to agree because he owes him that.

Sure enough, after the 5th time he checks his phone, he tells Nico that he has to go. He asks for Nico’s number, which he willingly gives, and with a promise of a good drink in two days, he hugs Nico for the last time and goes to find his gorgeous girlfriend.

Nico pays for the groceries, absentmindedly placing them on the counter while his mind plays a song which he hasn't heard in a long, long time but still remembers the lyrics properly.

He forgets to buy his Big Mac so he makes Bang Bang Cauliflower (from delish.com) at 9 in the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cast photoshoot and the day Nico goes to Target are different days. I just want to clear that up!
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask) if you want to talk or something.
> 
> The Bang Bang Cauliflower is a real recipe. You can find it [here.](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a57497/bang-bang-cauliflower-recipe/)
> 
> And Nico's police uniform look is based on [Matsuoka Rin's uniform](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/i/2d6674a6-8d22-44c7-ae04-c916773346e5/d9cln8k-8b606268-92e6-41c8-8853-a11031166657.jpg/v1/fill/w_342,h_600,q_75,strp/rin_matsuoka_screw_the_police__by_daikibakaomine_d9cln8k-fullview.jpg) so it's kinda silly because ACAB. I intentionally chose that uniform because it's not real and it's sexy. His second look, the seaweed-colored long-sleeved shirt and all, is based on this [James McAvoy look](http://cdn02.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/bandage-mcavoy/james-mcavoy-bruised-and-bandaged-01.jpg) since they both have the same height in this verse.
> 
> I still have a lot of brain worms for the cast of It: Chapter 2 to be honest. It's not going anywhere anytime soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you even talk to your ex-best friend who you made as a rebound after your first love broke your heart? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just woke up so I don't know what to really say but here it is! Please tell me if I missed any tags that should be here. Thanks!

Jason is already seated when Nico arrives.

He gives him a more _slightly_ awkward smile and a little wave before walking towards him. 

The place looks like the places they used to hang out when they were kids, plus it’s in Santa Rosa, near Sonoma State so food is somewhat cheap but really good. 

“If you wanted to eat at a college town we could’ve just gone to Park Twich or Berkeley,” Nico says, twitching his nose and picking up the menu.

“Yeah, but Piper has a thing at Sonoma State and I want you to meet her so I thought why not just ask you to come up here.” He shrugs, then his face suddenly shifts, “You’re not busy, are you?”

“No, not anymore. I’m done with my work, I think.” Their waitress arrives and takes their orders. She leaves after she fills their glasses with water. “Your sister hasn’t called me so I guess they don’t need me yet.”

“Oh cool, you’re working with Thalia?”

“Yes, I have been for like, 3 years now. She didn’t mention anything?”

“No, not really. But I know she has a show.”

“Yeah. I write there.”

“Cool!”

“So what are you up to right now?”

“Well, I was in New York for a few years, that’s where I met Piper, but we got here around two months ago.”

“For good?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“Cool.”

And silence.

Total. Awkward. Silence.

How do you even talk to your ex-best friend who you made as a rebound after your first love broke your heart? 

Sure, they were best friends before, but the keyword here is _‘were’_. They aren’t best friends now. Hell, the other day was the first time he’s seen him in like, 9 years? And he’s pretty sure his best friend now is Leo or fucking Connor or whoever that’s not Jason. Is Travis his best friend? Could you even consider a fuck buddy your best friend?

He taps his foot nervously. He has to do this. He has to talk to Jason properly. Apologize about how he took advantage of his affections before. That’s the main reason why you agreed to meet him, right di Angelo? So man the fuck up and talk!

“Um,” he starts. It’s progress.

“Hm?” Jason turns from his phone to him, smiling.

“I, uh,” he bites the inside of his cheek. Come on, di Angelo, fucking apologize. “I’m so--”

“Here’s your food,” their waitress announces flatly then places their food on the table. Nico glares at her but says nothing. Jason gives a murmur of thanks and she leaves.

He takes a deep breath and starts again. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” Jason shoves pancakes that are absolutely _drenched_ in syrup in his mouth.

Nico wants to continue looking at the pancakes swimming in maple syrup on Jason’s plate but suppresses the urge to. 

When he was young, his father had taught him to look people in the eye when talking to them, especially when apologizing and/or offering gratitude. 

“For what I did when we were young. For taking advantage of your kindness, of your feelings for me. For using you to get over Percy, or to get back at him. God, I don’t even remember anymore. That’s how fucked up everything is.” He shakes his head. “I know you’ve loved me since we were kids, and I’m really sorry for thinking you wouldn’t mind because,” Nico adjusts his grip on his hands as it starts to hurt. He doesn’t even notice he’s crushing his left hand already. “Because you _loved_ me. You didn’t deserve that. Nobody deserves that.”

 _One beat. Two beats. Three beats._ Nico looks straight at Jason, his back ramrod straight, waiting for him to talk, to answer, to make any sound. Anything to ease the pressure.

Jason regards him with a look he could not read. It has been long since he put down his fork, his pancakes getting soggier and soggier by the second. The butter already combining with the syrup, giving the amber liquid a yellow swirl.

He hasn’t touched his food yet, his consumption of it solely depends on the outcome of this conversation. If Jason accepts his apology, he might eat it. If not, he’ll leave and will never show his face ever. 

Jason breaks the eye contact first. With a sigh, he picks up his fork again and starts moving his cut pancakes around his plate. “It’s soggy,” he says, stabbing one of the pieces with his fork and lifting it to his face. Nico stays quiet, still waiting for his answer.

Jason puts the piece of pancake back on his plate. “Nico, you know I don’t hate you, right?” his face soft as he answers. “I _cannot_ hate you. If anything, I should be the one apologizing because I practically forced myself on you.” He grimaces at his pancakes and moves it away, picking on his side of fruits instead. “I knew you were in a vulnerable position after your break-up with Percy so I thought I’d swoop in and, I don’t know, save you perhaps?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Jason. That was all me.”

“I’m pretty sure I did something bad, too. I was there. And you didn’t ‘take advantage’ of me, I did that to you.”

“No! It’s… it’s, I don’t know anymore,” Nico rubs his temples, confusion clouding his memory of the thing that happened when they were teenagers.

“I’m sorry I never reached out to you,” Jason admits. “I thought you wanted your space after what I did to you.”

“I thought you wanted your space too,” he chuckles. “We’re idiots, aren’t we?”

Jason laughs at that, “We sure are.” He takes a sip of his coffee and continues, “So, back to being best friends?”

Nico smiles widely at him, “Back to being best friends.” Jason stands up from his side of the booth and sits beside Nico, wrapping his muscular arms around him and this time Nico hugs back. Jason kisses his temple before going back to his side of the booth.

  
  


Nico digs in on his waffles. It’s kind of cold now but still good. The whipped cream has totally melted off but he doesn’t mind.

They talk about plenty of things, trying to cram the last 9 years in their conversation. Nico tells him all the projects he had made and how he and Thalia started working together. Jason, in return, shares his own thing in New York. He's a producer now, apparently, and he’s working on independent films, which is a surprise to Nico since he had no interest in working in media as a kid even though most of his family works in it, more so after Bianca passed.

“I don’t want to work with major film studios. They suck the creativity out of everyone involved.”

“Amen to that,” Nico raises his orange juice as a salute. “How did you even get a girlfriend as hot as Piper, by the way? Did you slip a potion in her drink or something? There is no way she’d just agree to date you.”

"Oh man, I wish I knew."

So Jason tells him their story, or at least how he thinks it happened.

Piper’s first project as an actress was an indie horror movie produced by Jason’s small company. It was a particularly low-budgeted one so he helped around with whatever he could. He wasn’t sure if Piper knew him as a producer or not but she kept talking to him. She would sit with him at lunch, ask about what he’s doing when they weren’t shooting, stuff like that. He thought she was only being friendly. He wanted to ask her out but was conflicted since he’s her boss or something so he never said anything about it, and he liked her company and thought she might think he’s taking advantage of her if he asked her out. That and she’s beautiful and kind and her family is kind of a big deal. It kind of intimidated Jason.

Piper asked him out when they wrapped up filming. She confessed that she was not sure if it’s appropriate to ask her ‘boss’ out when they’re still working together. She also said she considered asking him out after the premier but it could take at least a year more and she couldn’t wait anymore.

That was 4 years ago. Now they’re thinking of marriage and settling down.

“Wait, wait, how is her family a big deal?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Should I?”

“Nico, I thought you’re working with the elites here?”

“I usually write for cheesy procedural and fantasy dramas on cable channels, they usually hire unknown actors for that. I helped write a few indie movies but this is my first writing cred for a giant company,”

“Anything I know of?”

“Shut up. If you wanna know just look at my IMDB,”

Jason rolls his eyes. “Her dad is Tristan McLean,”

Nico’s eyes widen, “Woah! Are you fucking with me? You pulling my leg?” he leans in and points his fork at his friend.

“Man, I wish I was fucking with you,”

“Fuck! No fucking way!”

“Here, look at this.” He pulls his phone out and scrolls a few times. He gives his phone to Nico which he eagerly accepts.

“This is Tristan fucking McLean!” he almost-yells at him. “Dude, I gotta be your girlfriend’s friend! Make her invite me to his dad’s party! I have so much shit I want him to sign!”

“Like what, that vintage playing cards they released in like the 80s as a marketing ploy for his movie?”

“Among others!”

Jason orders another plate of pancakes and Nico gets a slice of blueberry pie when the little bell on the door chimes, announcing the arrival of a customer. Nico, facing the door, recognizes Piper’s tall form and waves at her. She waves back.

“Hey babe!” She sits beside Jason and kisses his cheek.

Jason leans to her, “Heeey! You want pancakes?”

“No, thank you. The crust has eggs. Fruit salad if they have it.” She arranges her purse beside her and flips her hair. Jason raises his hand, signaling their waitress. “Hi, Nico! What are you eating?”

“Blueberry pie,” he admits and Piper hums.

“Is it any good?”

“Yeah, you want a piece?”

“No, thanks. I’m a vegetarian,”

“Oh. Okay, sorry.”

“No worries!”

Their waitress brings her fruit salad which she happily eats while the three of them talk. Jason tells her that they’ve been friends since they were kids and she nods and makes confirming noises but it’s quite obvious that she knows this already. Jason might’ve told her about him, Percy, Annabeth, and Bianca.

“What do you do, Nico?” Piper asks. It’s a question Nico already anticipated hearing today.

“I’m a writer,” he replies, smiling, not elaborating. Technically he could tell them what he’s up to, not that they made him sign an NDA but it’s just annoying for him since he’s going to do all the talking.

“Anything I’ve seen?”

“Oh oh!” Jason interjects, “He’s writing for Thalia’s show!”

Piper gasps, “For real?! I love that show! _Ugh_ , oh my god! And you just wrapped up shooting, right?!” She gushes. She’s cute when she talks fast. “I’ve been waiting for the next season in forever! Can you tell me just a little biiiit about what’s going to happen this season? Pleeeease!”

Nico laughs, suddenly pleased and relieved that he’s not going to have a hard time being friends with Piper. He pretends to think, “Hm, the new characters will be interesting, that I could tell you. And it is going to be a tad bit steamier than the last season,”

Piper squeals, “Oh my goooood! I’m so excited!” She thwacks Jason’s left bicep a couple of times and turns back to him. “Is it Lester and Kiki? Please tell me it’s Lester and Kiki!”

“Oh, I can’t tell you that. It could be them, it could be anybody else in the show. Maybe it’s Jonah and Kiki or Lilou and Jonah. It could literally be anybody.”

“Please. Everybody knows Jonah and Miles have a thing with each other. They’re dating and you can’t convince me otherwise even if you’re what, the head writer? Are you the head writer?”

Nico is in a fit of giggles now. He couldn’t believe someone like Piper McLean is an avid fan of their show. “Why can’t Jonah be the token straight?”

“Nothing about that man looks straight! His beard? His frequent banter with Miles? The way he looks at Lester’s mugshot?! Uh-uh, no way he’s straight.”

“What about Lilou?” Jason asks. Does he watch his sister’s show?

“Do you even watch your sister’s show, dude?”

“Yeah, I do!”

“Aw shush,” Piper shushes Jason. “Don’t listen to him, Nico. He’s only seen like three episodes max, and that’s way back in season 1.”

“Aw come on! Don’t rat me out to Thalia, Neeks. She’ll tell mom and mom’ll make me watch it! You know I can’t watch a show with no explosions!”

“Hey, we do explosions in the show! Sometimes,”

“Yeah! They do explosions in the show! In season 1 episode 8 Santa Maria got into a car accident but Perry got her out in time before it exploded,”

" _Eugh_ , that's it? That's like straight out of a telenovela!"

“We’re a mystery-thriller, we don’t need explosions to draw audiences in,”

“Yes! You are correct. And if you need another new character next season I will totally clear my schedule for you guys.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll mention you to _the gang_ and see what they'd do to that information,” he winks at her and she giggles excitedly.

Nico leaves the diner a few minutes later with him saying he still has to go to the bank. Jason hugs him goodbye and Piper kisses his cheek before letting him go. 

Nico smiles as he gets in his car, feeling relieved and happy with how the meeting went.

  
  


**[WILHELM!!! 🥵 FaceTime...]**

“Hey, Dark Lord. Long time no talk!”

“Yeah, it’s been a busy week. Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Nah, don’t worry. We had a busy week too, busy partying our asses off.” He smiles broadly at Nico. “But our summer break will be over in like two weeks then we have to do school stuff again.”

“For real? Damn, good thing I never thought of being a doctor. I couldn’t handle studying that much, I’d go mad.” Nico makes a face at Will. Really, he could never imagine having to study all the time. Mad respect to all doctors, nurses, and other medical staff but it’s really not for him. He is definitely built for the arts. 

One thing he really likes about Will is that even though he came from a wealthy family (he still doesn’t know his family name. Is he from old money to be this secretive? Is his family a mafia?) he never went the _influencer_ route. He’s actually doing something that would probably make the world a better place. He’s not an arrogant bastard, he’s extremely kind, freakishly handsome, hot. He’s so perfect he should be hiding something. No one is this perfect and not a closet pervert, or one of those who like watching videos of people stepping on random shit while wearing designer shoes.

Not kink shaming or anything, it’s just something that he wouldn’t touch _ever._

“Yeah, it’s not for everyone, I guess. But it could be very rewarding, you know?” Will’s eyes dart above the camera, careful to not look at him. “We’re not on rotation yet but we’ve started observing the ins and outs of stuff so I get to talk to kids sometimes in the pediatric ward. It makes me really happy that I listened to him and followed my dreams, you know?” His face has a tinge of pink and he keeps shrugging the whole time, feigning nonchalance, but Nico knows he’s sincere.

“Of course your job is also important. Art is a crucial part of our lives and what you’re doing is literally an artwork. It’s a piece of a giant puzzle that keeps people happy and makes their weeks complete. Like, imagine if society has no art in it? Everything would be gray and dull.”

Nico smiles a little, feeling really fond of the blond in front of him but doesn’t want to show it that much. “That you are right, my friend. What we do is just as important as what everybody else does.”

Will looks at the camera again, all smiles. “So, why’d you call me?”

“Ah yeah, I called to tell you about how my ex and I got back together,”

Will’s face visibly falls and he pales that Nico suddenly feels the need to clear the air, “Oh no, no, not like that! I phrased that wrongly. I meant he just moved back here from New York and we’re back to being friends again.”

“Oh,” Will says and he chuckles weakly as if the clarification only eased him a little. Eased him from what Nico doesn’t know. “That… that sounds great. What’s his name?”

“Jason. He’s actually the brother of my ‘boss’,” he does an air quote, “but we’ve been friends since we were kids. Literal kids, you know? We kind of had a falling out 9 years ago after we broke up but we’re good now. Man, it’s really fucking good to see your best friend after so long, you know? And he’s gotten more handsome now, I tell you. Before, he was a handsome kid, like the rugged boy type, tall, blue eyes, blonde hair, fair skin. He’s like the poster caucasian boy. But now? I’m sure 9 years ago me would be like, damn why’d I let him go? He’s obviously been working out since his pecs filled out his henley nicely. And his arms? Ugh, It looked so strong like he could push a small car away but--”

“Nico would you please stop?”

“Why? Do you have to go? Do you have to go somewhere with Cecil and Lou Ellen?”

“No. I just don’t want to hear about your friend anymore.”

“Wow, excuse me for bringing up my friend in this conversation. You asked me why I called and this is why I called.”

“Just stop, okay?”

A sudden irritation emerges from under his skin. Why is he snapping at him? “I’ll bite. What the fuck is wrong with you? Earlier you were so chirpy now you look like you’re shitting a brick. What the fuck?”

“What, is it illegal to not want to hear about somebody’s ex?”

“Oh fuck you, I don’t have to listen to this.” He drops the call and throws his phone in front of him with much force than he intended to.

“Illegal to not want to hear about somebody’s ex, my ass. Fucking what the fuck is wrong with him telling me to shut up I’m not even saying anything wrong I’m not even saying anything lewd what the fuck I thought we’re fucking friends,” he grumbles. After a moment of pouting, he grabs his phone back.

 **Me**   
I don’t know what the fuck crawled up your ass **22:18**   
You don’t have to be fucking rude about it **22:18**

He’s still grumbling as he charges his phone then pats the bed to let Mrs. O’Leary up his bed. He turns off his bedside lamp not long after but sleep doesn’t visit him until 3 hours later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're curious how Travis and Nico got into their _arrangement_ in this verse, you can read the part 3 of this verse or you can read it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25566007).
> 
> You can find me on my [Tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask).


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is about to walk back to his car when he hears a familiar voice from the breakfast place behind the food truck. He turns his head to see if it really is him when he sees a man with a carefully styled blond hair talking animatedly beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this early because I have errands tomorrow that could take the whole day.
> 
> A SURPRISE _WILL_ CHAPTER AGAIN!
> 
> honestly, this is just a filler chapter. 
> 
> enjoy how stupid Will is!

“Hey Will, do you want-- aw man, what now?” Cecil sighs.

The frames on the wall rattle when Will bangs his door close as he goes out of his room. He grabs his keys and wordlessly leaves their apartment. “Hey, man where are you going it’s late!” He ignores Cecil.

Stupid blond ex-boyfriend poster caucasian boy shit. He’s blond, he’s tall, he’s got blue eyes, what the fuck is wrong with him? He’s a little tan but if he stays indoor for some time his complexion goes back to being pale. Is that what Nico likes? Pale guys? Fine then, he’ll be pale as a fucking sheet.

And did his ex-boyfriend have to be back a week before his 25th birthday? Why couldn’t his ex-boyfriend be back here in like, never? Why does it have to be before his 25th birthday? When he is celebrating his silver anniversary here on earth? He can’t go back to being pale in a week, that’s insane!

He opens the door to their building and angrily stomps to the nearest 7/11 to buy whatever the fuck is available in there. 

This is crazy. Why is he annoyed? Why is he irritated with an ex-boyfriend? And why does he even care? It’s not like he’s pursuing Nico or explicitly told him that he likes him and wants to be with him. But he’s been flirting! Isn’t that a sign? No, shit fuck, no. Will ruffles his hair, making it shaggier. He’s been  _ avoiding _ him when Nico tries to talk about what is going on between them because that’s not in his fucking plan! Not yet.

God fucking nuts, this is fucking frustrating.

He pulls open the door to 7/11 with much force than the door deserves. He grabs a basket (and nearly topples the whole pile) and walks straight to the chips and grabs some party size Doritos in various flavors. Then, he moves to the freezer and grabs a gallon of strawberry cheesecake ice cream so Cecil couldn’t have any. He reconsiders when he is almost at the counter because that is just rude and Cecil never did anything wrong, so he grabs another gallon of mint chocolate chip and pays for everything.

His irritation evaporates a little bit the moment he’s back at their building, and it is chopped down to 50% when he arrives on the fourth floor. Finally, his irritation ebbs away by the time he’s on their front door, leaving him dejected and tired.

“Man, where did you go? You left your phone in your room and it’s like 11, in a summer break. Drunk people are everywhere, dude!” It’s half past 10 but he didn’t correct him. 

Will clicks his tongue and dismisses Cecil by a wave of a hand. It’s rude and he knows it. He’ll apologize later.

“Okay, I’ll pretend I never saw that just ‘cus we’re friends. What’s wrong, man? Grades already in the system? Oh shit, are grades already in the system?!”

“No,” Will moans. He drops the plastic bag from his arms in the sink and gets his gallon of strawberry cheesecake. He opens the lid and scoops a huge chunk of it with a spoon he got from the cutlery drawer. “It’s Nico,”

Cecil raises an eyebrow. “You panicked when he flirted back again?” He rises from his seat to the kitchen and looks around for some food. He opens the supreme cheddar Doritos and his mint chocolate chip ice cream and joins Will.

“No,” he moans again, his mouth full of pale pink ice cream. “He’s back with his ex… I think.”

“Yikes. Shit, man. I’m sorry.” Will shrugs. “What’s he look like?”

“I don’t know,” another spoonful, “He said he looks like a _‘poster caucasian boy’_.”

“So white, blue eyes, blond, tall, straight white teeth? Will, that’s you!”

He makes a distressed face at him. “And so are like a million people! He’s probably more put together than I am.” He grabs a fistful of Doritos and shoves it in his mouth.

“Hey, you’re gonna hurt yourself, slow down.”

“He’s probably some big shot in the showbiz or something and I’m just… me. I’m still in school, for fuck’s sake.”

“We’re both in school, man. And we’re still in school because we _have_ to. We’re gonna be doctors, man! What else did he say about this guy?”

“He said it’s the first time he’d seen his ex in 9 years and if his 9-year younger self would see him he’d regret leaving him.”

“Yikes.” Will groans and uses a dorito chip as a spoon to scoop some ice cream.

“He said he could push a car with how strong his arms looked.”

“Show him your arms, man! You don’t do like a thousand push-ups just for nothing!”

“I don’t know… just let me mope for tonight, okay? Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel better but I just feel so shitty right now. And I’m pretty positive he’s mad at me ‘cus I snapped at him when he started talking about his ex so...”

“You snapped at him?” Cecil cocks an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but not intentionally. It’s just he started talking about this Jason guy and basically described how god-like he looks and I got jealous, I guess.”

“You’re an idiot, you know that? Like a handsome idiot or something. Why would you even do that?”

“I’m sorry, alright?! I got jealous, sue me.”

“You have to apologize to him. Right now.”

“Can I do it tomorrow?”

“Nuh-uh. Do it now. Grab your phone, go!” Cecil pushes him a couple of times so he pouts and stabs the spoon in his ice cream and retrieves his phone. There are two messages from Nico.

🖤💀🖤 **Dark Lord** 🖤💀🖤  
I don’t know what the fuck crawled up your ass **22:18**  
You don’t have to be fucking rude about it **22:18**

**Me** **  
** sorry  **22:43 [Read 22:44]**   
that was rly shitty of me  **22:43 [Read 22:44]**   
i dunno what came up 2 me  **22:43 [Read 22:45]**

Will looks at Cecil. “He’s not replying.”

“Of course he won’t, you freaked out on him.”

“‘Freaked out’ is kind of a strong word to what I did,”

“Shut up. Just let him, I dunno, be angry for the night? Let him process or something.”

“You’re right,” he sighs and puts the lid back on his ice cream. He’s already full and it’s almost the middle of the night. He’s going to have indigestion he shouldn’t have eaten this late in the night.

He and Cecil put their ice creams in the freezer and sealed the opened bag of chips. He throws it, along with the other party-sized chips, in the pantry and drinks two glasses of water. He waves goodnight (and says thank you) to Cecil before going back to his bathroom to brush his teeth. When he’s done, he checks on Carrot and flops in his bed.

  
  


He did not get indigestion but he still feels shitty so he showers at 8 AM and offers to get breakfast, which Cecil agrees but eyes him carefully as he leaves. He checks his phone when he gets to the underground parking and is delighted when he sees a message from Nico.

🖤💀🖤 **Dark Lord** 🖤💀🖤  
👍  **7:16**

He sighs in relief. He debates with himself whether to reply or not but decided not to, just to be safe. Then he climbs in his car and drives off to get breakfast burritos.

🤡  **Cecil** 🤡   
Hey man we’re out of milk & parsley pls get some thnx  **8:23**

**Me** **  
**👍 **8:23**

Will is about to walk back to his car when he hears a familiar voice from the breakfast place behind the food truck. He turns his head to see if it really is him when he sees a man with a carefully styled blond hair talking animatedly beside him. 

“Will? It’s early, what are you doing here?” Nico raises an eyebrow at him.

“Uh...” Will looks at Nico, then at the blond, then back to Nico. “I’m uh...” he lifts the plastic bag with breakfast burritos in it.  “I’m-- I’m gonna go. Bye.” He practically runs back to his car.

Wow, that was pathetic. The odds of running away after you’ve seen the person you like with his ex-boyfriend? More likely than you think!

He presses the heels of his hands in his eyes. “Fucking pathetic,” whispers Will to himself and drives away to the farthest grocery store or bodega he could think of away from Park Twich.

\----

“Dude, where’s the parsley?”

Will snorts. “Sorry,” he says as he leans his head back to the couch. He bought the groceries in a haze, just shoving anything and everything in his cart.

“What are we going to do with these canned fruits?” his roommate asks as he lifts cans and cans of preserved peaches and blueberries. “How the fuck did you even get to the feminine products, Will, the fuck? What are we gonna do with this?!” Cecil removes a pack of sanitary pads from the bag.

Will shrugs, “I dunno. Just give it to Lou Ellen, Katie, or Billie.” 

And as if on cue, Lou Ellen’s voice rings from behind the door. “Boys! Open up! I brought breakfast and Katie!”

“The door’s open,” he groans in her direction, not knowing if she did hear him. He gets his answer when Lou Ellen opens the door with an enthusiastic ‘Hi!’

“Hey, Will,” Katie greets him. He nods his head in recognition.

Lou Ellen goes to Cecil who’s reheating burritos. “What’s with Fuckface McMopey there?”

“I heard that,” he yells. Cecil looks at him then whispers something in her ear.

She grimaced, “ _ Eugh _ , that’s rough.” Then she starts opening cupboards, probably looking for food or whatever. “Katie, you want sumn?”

She shrugs her sandals off and sits beside Will, “Sure. Hot chocolate, please.”

Will turns his head to her, frowning. “Hey,”

“Hey. What’s up?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Okay. It’s someone you like, right?” He moves his eyebrows up, a confirmation. “Cool.”

“They aren’t giving you a hard time, are they?” He shrugs again. She leans back to the couch, mimicking his position. “You know you’re a catch, Will, right? Anybody would be lucky to have you as their boyfriend.  _ I _ was lucky I got to be your girlfriend, ‘til I fucked it all up.”

“Eh,” he says instead, not recognizing the compliment because he’s done some fucked up shit before, too. He _is_ doing some fucked up shit now by being upset for no fucking reason and not telling Nico the truth. He’s not perfect, but he doesn’t say it. “You’re a catch too,” he moves closer to her and nudges her shoulder with his own.

“Thanks.” A beat of silence.

“How’s Robbie?” he asks, interrupting the quiet.

“Robbie?”

“You know, the guy you cheated me with, like almost a year ago?”

“Screw you, don’t say it like that.” She swats his arm.

“What? That’s what you did!”

Katie breathes out a sigh, “Him? I dunno where the fuck he is now.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“What? You asked.”

“What, like he’s  _ gone _ gone?”

“We stopped hooking up like two months after we broke up.”

“Wow. That’s… a lot to process,” he says, sitting properly and rubbing his temples.

“I’m sorry,” she says, “if it’s any consolation I was a wreck for about a month after that. I ruined our relationship for a hookup that didn't even last for half as long as what we had.”

Will shakes his head, “It’s fine, I’m not upset. Well maybe a little because you’re right, you ruined us for a  _ few _ night stands with another guy--”

“It was  _ two months _ but whatever,”

“ _BUT_ it doesn’t matter now, okay? You’ve moved on, I’ve moved on, we’re both fine.”

“Yeah. We're friends again so we're both fine.”

“You two kids done talking?” Lou Ellen yells from the kitchen, which isn’t really necessary since the kitchen is only a few meters away from the living room.

“Yes, we’re done.”

“Good, since the food is ready and we’re about to move it there,”

Will groans and moves to his right, pulling Katie with him, so there’s enough room for Lou Ellen. They place the food on the coffee table and Will plays  _ What We Do In The Shadows _ for them to watch. 

The day might have somewhat started bad but he can still turn it around.

  
  


Will throws the sanitary pads at Lou Ellen before she and Katie leave, “What’s this for?”

“For your bleeding? You bleed once every month, right?”

“Nah, it’s like twice per month for me now. Can you believe it?!” Cecil grimaced in disgust. “School’s fucked me up so much I bleed twice a month now. Oh, shush it Cece, we’re all gonna be doctors, and you’re gonna deal with more blood than a quarter cup from a vagina.”

“Says you, I’m going to be a podiatrist.”

Lou Ellen wrinkles her nose, “Wait, for real?”

"Yeah, you know this already."

"No, I don't."

“If there’s anybody here going to deal with blood it’s gonna be me.” She turns to Will. “You’re still set on oncology, right?”

“Yup, that one would never change.”

“Well, alright. Thanks for the pad, boys.” She throws the pad in the air and catches it.

“What about me?”

“Just grab whatever you want there, Katie. Will bought everything in that store except for the only thing I asked for,”

“Sorry, I’m gonna get your parsley maybe later.”

“I’ll grab this canned peach if you don’t mind.”

“Oh no, not at all. If you want you can throw in some canned cherries.”

“I’m good with this, thanks.”

They say their goodbyes and finally Cecil is closing their door.

“Okay, man, I didn’t ask because Katie was here but what the hell happened when you were out?!” Cecil throws his hands up in the air like he’s swatting some invisible flies above his head. “Is it Nico again?”

_Ugh_ , he doesn’t want to talk about it! He moves back to the kitchen, leans over, and rests his cheek on the cold surface of the countertop. “I saw the ex. He's with him again.”

Cecil’s eyes bug out, “What?! Where? What does he look like?! Does he really look like a poster white boy?!”

“I didn’t get too close but yes, a poster white boy and more. He could audition for Marvel and get cast as Archangel if they decided to reboot X-Men again.”

“Oof, sorry man. But I’m sure he’s taller than you are. I literally don’t know anybody taller than you." He pretends to think, "Oh your dad, but still.”

“I think we’re the same height if he’s not taller.”

“Aw man. Yikes. That fucking sucks. Your height was your only advantage, to be honest.”

“Shut up. Now let me mope again. It’s your fault you made me remember.”

“Alright, but move on the couch I’m cleaning the kitchen.”

“Thanks,” he moves to the living room and flops down on the couch, his bangs bouncing in front of his face.

“Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you’re okay by the time next week rolls around. We can’t have you moping on your birthday, man.”

Will heaves out a sigh, “You’re right.”

"And it's gonna be great! You're gonna have a big party and you're gonna have a good time. You might even forget about Nico and his dumb ex the whole night!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> leave a kudos if you haven't already! 😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was definitely a struggle to write this one I have no idea why.
> 
> A reminder that this fic is unbeta'd but I did everything I could to edit and proofread it. All mistakes and grammatical errors are mine because English is not my first language.
> 
> Please tell me if I missed any tags and/or warnings so I could put it properly in the tags. Thank you!

Nico watches dumbfounded as Will runs away, the rustling sound of his plastic bag echoing in the quiet morning.

“Hey boys, sorry for the wait,” Piper announces from behind them. She asked if she could use the restroom before they could go. “what did I miss?”

“Some guy ran away after seeing us,” Jason answers, then he looks at him. “Did you know that guy?”

“Yeah. He’s… some guy. Come on, let’s go.” He walks ahead of them, still thinking about what the fuck just happened. Why would Will run away like he’s seen a ghost? What the fuck is going on?! But now is not the time for that. He could obsess thinking about what happened later when he’s alone, but right now is all about his friends and Hazel.

He fishes his phone out from his pocket and dials Hazel’s number. She answers after the third ring.

_ “Hey, Nico. What’s up?” _

“Are you free for breakfast?”

_ “Hm, I think so. My interview isn’t until this afternoon so yeah, I can do breakfast. Wait, lemme ask Frank,”  _ Hazel probably covers the microphone of her phone since he couldn’t hear anything.  _ “He says he’ll come.” _

“Alright, see you at Tía Mina in twenty,” and he hangs up. “Okay, let’s go!” He says to Jason and Piper.

Though Hazel is only two years younger than him and five years younger than Bianca, she rarely comes with them as kids. Her mom just passed when she joined the family at the age of 9 so she was kind of aloof at first. Sure, she was friends with Jason, Percy, and Annabeth, but she didn’t always join them, but she was a friendly child so she has plenty of friends her age.

  
  


They arrive at Tía Mina with 10 minutes to spare. They sit outside so Frank and Hazel could see them immediately, and sure enough, after 10 minutes, Nico hears Hazel scream from a distance. Jason shouts her name when he spots her. Then he’s running and catching her in his arms. He spins her around like a little girl, she might as well be since she’s so small, hugging her tight. It is quite heartwarming to see his sister and his best friend meet again after almost a decade.

“Is that guy your sister’s boyfriend?” Piper leans toward him. 

“Fiancé, but yes. He’s big, isn’t he?” Frank watches Hazel and Jason with an amused smile. 

“Oh yeah, and she’s so tiny! Is your dad um… for the lack of a better word, short?”

Nico guffaws at the image. Henry di Angelo? Short? That is fucking hilarious. “I’m sorry,” he wheezes, wiping the tears in the corner of his eyes. “I imagined my dad with my height for a second and it’s so fucking funny!” he clears his throat. “No, our dad is over 6 feet. He kinda looms over us so he just sits now when he wants to talk.”

“Oh, so you got your height from your mom?”

“I think I got  _ everything _ from my mom except my complexion. She died when I was around 9 or 10.” Piper gives a small ‘I’m sorry’, he smiles at her. He takes a sip of his water then continues. “And it has been a recurring joke to us that she has a fetish for tiny women named Maria. Both my mom and Hazel’s mom were tiny and named Maria. His current girlfriend is still tiny but thank fuck her name’s Penny.”

“Imagine having three moms all named Maria,” she shakes her head then laughs.

“Pipes! Piper! This is Hazel!” Jason walks back to their table with Hazel still clinging on his neck.

“I know! You were screaming her name for two minutes,” she stands up and extends her hand to Hazel. “I’m Piper, Jason’s girlfriend.” And when Hazel takes her hand, she pulls her in for a hug. “Nice to meet you!”

Hazel hugs her back. “Nice to meet you too! I am so glad Jason is with someone who looks like they have their shit together!”

“Oh please,” she giggles, “we’re both a mess, I just hide it better.”

She lets go of Piper and gestures for Frank to come closer, “This is my fiancé, Frank.”

“Hi guys,” Frank raises his hand and shyly smiles at them. He looks adorable.

“Hi! I’m sorry I completely ignored you.” he offers his hand to Frank which he accepts. He then starts shaking it aggressively. “It is so nice to meet you. I hope you’re treating Hazel right because I will most certainly gut you if you hurt her.”

Nico watches in amusement as Frank’s genuine smile slowly turns into an awkward one. Jason is probably tightening his grip on his hand. He darts his gaze around, searching for either him or Hazel. He catches Nico’s eyes first, shooting him a look that says  _ help me _ . He rolls his eyes and smiles. “Alright, that’s enough Jason. I know you’re crushing the boy’s hand. You don’t think I already threatened him?”

“I’m just making sure.”

“I swear I will never hurt her!”

“I’m counting on it, big boy.”

Piper swats Jason’s hand from Frank, making him let go. “Hi, I’m Piper. Don’t worry about this idiot over here. Tell me if he threatens you again and I’ll take care of him.” She pulls Frank in for a hug which he gladly accepts.

“You’re Piper McLean, right? I sort of worked with your dad a long time ago, in Into The Fury.” Frank asks sheepishly like he doesn’t want to inconvenience Piper by asking about her dad.

“Really? Oh my god, I’m gonna tell him you said hi. I’m sure he still remembers you.”

“Oh my, you’re Tristan McLean’s daughter?!” exclaims Hazel. “Oh my god, I am such a huge fan of your dad! We’re huge fans of your dad!” She points at Nico.

“Is that so?” Piper turns to Nico, he blushes. “He didn’t tell me at all!”

“He’s a bigger fan than I am, promise. He only has like two celebrity crushes; your dad and Paul Russel, which  _ he _ calls by his real name. They’re kind of close now.”

Piper gasps. “You did not tell me that yesterday!” She hurriedly sits beside Nico, totally ignoring Jason. Hazel and Frank follow soon after.

“Where’s Leo?” Frank asks.

“He’ll be late. He said something about giving Caly a ride to UNR.” Frank hums, satisfied with Nico’s answer.

“Wait, wait, Nico, you’re close with Paul Russel?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I’m writing for the show, of course I know him. And he sometimes helps with his dialogue.”

“Oh, so you didn’t tell them?” Hazel asks amusedly.

“Tell us what?” says Jason. Their waiter comes and asks for their orders which they give immediately; cafe con leche for Piper, tostada con tomate for Hazel, croissant de almendra for Nico, chocolate con churros for Jason and Leo, and pincho de tortilla for Frank.

“Shut up, Hazel! That was supposed to be a surprise!”

Nico can practically feel Piper vibrating beside her, “What is it? What’s going on? Is this about Purple Gr--” 

“Guys! Oh hey, new people! Hi, I’m Leo, Nico’s best friend!” Leo greets.

“Hey, I’m your best friend!” Jason complains.

“Hi, I’m Piper and this is Jason! Nico’s childhood friend. Nice to meet you!” Piper stands up and immediately gives Leo a hug. He looks surprised but accepts it.

“Hey, man!” Jason greets him and pulls him for a hug as well.

“Wow, you all are huggers. I wonder how Nico became friends with the two of you.”

“We were childhood friends and we used to date,” Jason says casually like he just told Leo about the weather. Nico gapes at him.

He looks at Piper, then back at Jason. “Wha- Piper, I-”

“Oh don’t worry about it,” says Piper. “I already know. He told me about you and your falling out like three months after we started dating. We don’t keep secrets from each other. I’m sorry, I hope that’s fine with you. It’s one of the reasons why he wanted to talk to you at Santa Rosa. I had an appointment there and my errand would give you enough time to talk and it looked like one of the places you used to go to as teens, and--”

“It’s okay, Piper. No need to explain yourself. As long as you’re okay with everything, I’m okay with it. You don’t have to apologize. We’ve only known each other for a day, you don’t owe me anything,”

“Still, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” she hugs him and he lets her.

Their food arrives a few minutes later and they eat in between gossips and stories like they’re old friends having a meal together after being apart for so long. 

His eyes land on two empty chairs behind Leo and wonder what it would feel like if they were occupied by a certain blonde and a black-haired boy.

“Nico, I know we just met, but I might die if you don’t tell me what’s going on in Purple Grave next season!” Piper looks at him with so much determination that he nearly sprays his food on Leo. 

Truth be told, he wanted to keep it a secret for the sake of professionalism, or at least keep the information contained to the four of them. But he also wants Piper to like him. He knows she’s a tad comfortable with him already and he is 85% sure she likes him, but he’s important to Jason and he just got him back in his life, so naturally, he would do anything to keep him. And if the only way to do it is to share with his almost-fiancée how much he is involved in the production of his work, then he’d do it in a heartbeat.

“Come on, Nico, spill it. You won’t get struck by lightning for sharing the news,” Leo winks at him. He rolls his eyes.

“Fine!” He groans. Piper gives a small ‘yes!’ and Jason leans in on the table to listen to him properly. “I replaced Nyssa Barrera for an  _ unknown _ role in the second season.”

Hazel giggles uncontrollably at Piper’s reaction. She looks at Nico, eyes wide and jaw slacked, then to Leo and Hazel and Frank and finally to Jason who is just as surprised as her. She gasps then lets out a squeal.

“Not gonna lie, my chest is pounding right now. I’m sweating bullets and my hands are cold! Feel this,” she holds Nico’s hand and it  _ is _ cold. “Good lord, I feel like I just got called for an audition! Ah!” Piper shakes her hands like she’s doing that thing some kids do when they’re doing math. He never really understood that technique. When he was in 3rd grade, his tutor taught him that technique but he quickly forgot about it.

“Congratulations, Nico! Wow. You’re finally gonna act again after all these years!” Jason reaches over to tap him on the shoulders. He smiles at him. “I am so proud of you.”

“It took him a lot of convincing,” Frank says.

“He was incredible at the table read! Reyna and Thalia were  _ this _ close to losing their shit because Nyssa didn’t come in so Reyna convinced you, right? You made me read the lines that were supposed to be yours.” Leo scrapes the chocolate for his last churro and pops it in his mouth. “Nyssa came in the next day but she never showed up when principal photography started so they fired her.”

"Wow. Well, sucks for her, am I right?" Jason grins at them. "What role do you play?” 

"I just told you I got Nyssa Barrera's role."

"But what  _ is  _ Nyssa Barrera’s role?"

"I…" he trails off. He looks at Leo, then Hazel, then Frank, then back again to Leo, silently asking them if telling would be a good idea. Leo waggles his eyebrows and Hazel snickers. Frank gives him an 'okay' sign. He sighs. His friends are enablers. "I play Apollo’s boyfriend in the show."

Piper immediately grips Jason’s shirt and pulls it close. “Ow,” he mutters.

“Jason, babe, I’m clenching my buttcheeks so hard right now I’m going to lose my damn mind.” Leo cracks up. She rests her head on her palm. “No offense, babe, but this is the best day ever. ”

“I know, I know. I know how much you love that show,” he plays with her hair and snickers. He kisses her cheek.

“Do you want me to give you the plot summary? I mainly wrote, like 4 episodes but helped in writing the other four.”

“No, it’s fine. You gave me a huge spoiler already. I want the rest to be a surprise.” She drinks her water like a man stranded in the desert.

“So, you got any clue now why this season’s steamier?”

Piper’s eyes bug out again. “Holy shit Nico! I have so many questions right now you don’t even know! Wha- how- when- how, Nico? How?!”

“I have no idea what you’re trying to say but one thing is for sure, though. Apollo fucks. I know it was scripted and we had an intimacy choreographer and we were wearing fake dicks the entire time but like, if  _ that  _ was a regular occurrence in the Solace bedroom, I would be jealous of Naomi Solace.”

“True, I was there. Nico looked like he was enjoying himself.” Leo says. Nico picks up a discarded bell pepper from Hazel’s plate and flings it to him. He dodges it then laughs.

“Shut up. I know it’s work but try fake humping your celebrity crush and we’ll see.”

“Joke’s on you I don’t have any. My heart and soul are only for Caly.”

“Get that love shit outta here, dude.”

“Make fun of me all you want but love? Love will keep us alive, man.”

“Shut up!” Hazel, Frank, Jason, and Piper laugh at them. “Fuck you all, I hate you. I always end up being the 3rd or 5th wheel whenever we go out. Now I’m the 7th wheel.”

“That’s why we keep telling you to make a move on Will already!” Frank mentions.

“Wait, who’s Will? Do I have to punch someone in the face?” Jason asks.

“Yeah, who’s Will? What is going on? Does Nico have a crush?”

“Jason, shut up. No!” Jason and Leo start making  _ ‘yiiihiii’ _ sound while Hazel makes kissy faces. “And I keep telling the three of you that is never going to happen!”

“Look, this is Will,” Nico looks at Frank and he’s holding up his phone, a picture of half-naked Will on full display. Jesus, it’s the one with an excessive dong neck! He must have taken it and had Hazel unlock it!

“Hey, give that back!”

“Nope! Let Jason and Piper be the judge!”

“Gimme! Gimme! Lemme look at him!” Piper makes grabby hands. Frank stands up, all 6’4 of him looming over Nico, and gives his phone to Piper.

“Oh my! You lucky dog, Nico! Lock this cutie down quick!”

Jason looks over Piper’s shoulder. “Hey, this was the guy earlier! He was wearing more clothes but this was him!” 

“What?!” Hazel pipes up.

“What? Where?!” Piper cocks an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah! At the breakfast place earlier. You went in to use their toilet but we saw him carrying a plastic bag.”

“Aw,”

“Will saw you and Jason?!” Hazel asks again.

“Yeah, but he ran away.”

Frank rolls his eyes, “Oh I wonder why. How are you two, by the way?”

“He was being weird last night. I told him about Jason and he just straight up got mad at me? For no fucking reason?”

“I might not be the most observant person but I might have an idea what happened,”

“Really? Pray tell, Grace.” Now it is Nico’s time to raise an eyebrow at him.

“He was jealous.”

“Pssh, why the fuck would he be jealous?!”

“Really, Nico? Nothing’s clicking?” Leo rests his chin on his palm.

“Wha-” Nico is interrupted by the shrill ringing of his phone from Piper’s hands. She hands it to him. “It’s Reyna. Excuse me, I have to take this.” He stands up and moves away from his friends. “Hello?”

_ “Nico, I need you to come in right now. The gang reviewed the final product and they want to make a few changes. Nothing major, just a few scenes. And bring Leo with you if you’re with him.” _

“Oh, okay. We can be there in 30 minutes.”

_ “Great. Bye.” _

Nico pockets his phone and goes back to his friends. He grabs his messenger bag hanging behind his chair. “Sorry guys, duty calls. We have to go back to the studio. Meeting with the execs.” Leo pouts and his friends express their disappointment with ‘awws’ and groans.

“I might get busy with writing and reshoots this week but I don’t think they’d keep this longer than necessary. Our wrap party is next week after all. You all should come!”

Piper lets out a surprised yelp. “Can I?!”

“Of course, beauty queen!” Leo answers, “Actors can bring at least 5 guests and trust me, they would be happy to have you both there!”

She turns to Jason. “Now you have no excuse to avoid your sister,”

“I’m not avoiding her, she’s just busy!”

“We have to go now,” he says and Hazel stands up to kiss her brother’s cheek goodbye. Piper and Jason hug them while Frank waves them goodbye.

They give their friends one last wave before he and Leo leave for the studio.

  
  


Meeting with  _ the gang _ turned out fine. They only ordered a few reshoots just to establish some of the few characters’ backstories, including Gio’s. Grover agreed to write the majority of the scenes with the help of Nico.

Needless to say, Nico’s week was pretty busy. They had to rush with everything since they only have a few months left before the season premier, but they got the hang of it. They finished the script, did the reshoots (it took them 2 days), and finally, they let the editors do their magic.

Promotions have already started too. They finally unveiled the poster for this season and it is spectacular. Nico is in the poster but only a silhouette behind Apollo so everything’s peachy.

“Where are you in there again?” Jason asks, pointing at the billboard in front of them. The three of them, him, Jason, and Piper, are out for some ice cream and Piper is taking a long ass time choosing her flavor.

“You see that sticking behind Apollo?” He licks his ice cream.

“Uh-huh,” Jason squints hard. “I guess I see something sticking behind him.”

“That’s me,” He points at Jason’s dripping ice cream.

“Oh shit,” he frantically licks his hand to clean up his mess. Nico rolls his eyes and hands him a wad of paper napkins. He wipes it off and looks back at the billboard. “What? Are you fucking kidding me? That’s you? Wow, they really made an effort to include all of you, huh.”

“No, dumbass.” He laughs and playfully punches Jason’s arm. “I forgot what they told me exactly but they’re supposed to reveal the silhouettes after the trailer has dropped. Kind of an easter egg, I think?”

“That sounds fine, I guess.” He tosses the napkins to the nearest trash. “Have the interviews started?”

“No, not yet. But we’re expected to go after the trailer and the following weeks after the whole season is released.”

“Eh,” Jason shrugs. “What flavor is that?”

“Cookies and Cream. Why?”

“Can I try some?”

“Sure. What’s yours?”

“Butter pecan.”

“Is it good?”

“Uh-huh,”

“Okay.” Nico raises his cone, letting Jason bite a huge chunk of it. “Jesus, Jason! Who the fuck bites ice cream?!”

Jason cackles and offers his ice cream to Nico. He holds Jason’s hand firmly, so he won’t  _ accidentally _ shove his ice cream up his nose, and licks it around obscenely. “Ew, that is so nasty!” Jason complains but licks his ice cream still.

“Serves you right.” A flash of something blue in his peripheral vision. He turns his head to the right. None. Nico looks to his left and sees Piper walking towards them holding a cup.

“Finally! What did you get?” Jason asks.

“I got chocolate! Let’s go. Hazel and Frank’s show is starting in a few minutes.”

Nico looks around one more time, scanning his surroundings for the blue he’d seen a few seconds ago. “Yeah, you two go ahead. I’m just gonna buy gum real quick.”

“Do it fast, ‘kay?”

Nico watched his friends go. He checks around again. Nothing. He scans the sidewalk across the street. Nothing.

He gives up after a few minutes. He goes inside the closest convenience store and buys a pack of Doublemint. He pops one in his mouth and with one last look around, he jogs to his friends, hoping the hint of yellow together with the blue isn’t what he thought it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> p.s. i'm sorry if this chapter feels a little off.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Purple Grave's wrap party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, this was fun to write but also _exhausting_!!!!!! There are too many words in this chapter I think I ran out of English. I really hope you enjoy this, though.
> 
>  **CW:** this chapter is _heavy_ on alcohol. If you have issues with it, please be careful in reading this chapter. Or if you don't want to read it at all, I'm going to put a tl;dr at the end notes so you won't miss anything. 
> 
> **There is a drunken hook up in this chapter.** I desperately want to mention it here in detail what's it about but doing so would give away something important so please, if any of you could teach me how to censor words but reveal it when it gets clicked, I would really appreciate it.
> 
> Also there's implied drug use and teenage pregnancy but nothing graphic, I swear. It's only a throwaway line.
> 
> Please let me know if I missed any tags, thanks!
> 
> All grammar inconsistencies, mistakes, and incoherencies are mine.

“Do I have to dress differently tonight?” Nico has his phone between his ear and shoulder as he rummages his closet looking for something to wear.

_ “How do you mean ‘different’?” _

“I mean, do I have to wear a suit and tie? Do I have to make an effort?”

_ “Of course you have to make an effort, it’s your wrap party! But please, for the love of all that is holy, do not come in a suit and tie! Have you actually seen anybody wear a suit and tie in a wrap party?” _

“Once I saw Adam Sandler wear a suit jacket over his ratty shirt while wearing basketball shorts,” he deadpans.

_ “Ew. I would sleep better knowing you wore literally anything in your all-black wardrobe than hang up and end up seeing you on the internet wearing something like that,” _

“So what do you think I should wear, Haze?”

_ “Honestly, I don’t know. I have Lauren for that. Why don’t you ask Piper? She’s a model, right? She must know something about clothes.” _

“I’ll try, but if she makes me wear something neon it’s on you.”

_ “Do you even own any neon?” _

“No, but you know how people are. Are you and Frank gonna come later?”

“Hm, I don’t know. Probably? I’m not sure yet. One of our co-stars invited us to his brother’s birthday.”

“Okay, it’s only Piper and Jason then.”

_ “I’m sorry! He already invited us a week before you did. And he asked Frank. You know how he is, he can’t say no to anybody,” _

He rolls his eyes, of course they asked Frank. That’s how they always succeed in inviting Hazel to things. It’s actually surprising nobody has asked Frank to do drugs yet. Or maybe somebody already did? He’ll ask him next time. “Yeah, fine. But if you can drop by, I would really appreciate it. I could introduce you to Apollo, I know Frank is a fan.”

_ “Yeah, he would like that. I swear we’ll try to drop by. Maybe we’ll just say hi to Mike then stay for some time and then head out to your party,” _

“Sure,”

_ “Yeah?” _ Nico hums his agreement.  _ “Okay, we’ll do that! See you later, big brother!” _

Nico ends the call and gives his closet one look over before huffing a breath and grabbing the first thing that catches his eye. Then he grabs one of his black non-skinny black pants and a shirt with a low neckline, then a casual blazer. For his shoes, he grabs two pairs; his new-ish pair of gray doc martens and another one he doesn’t know the name of but Hazel bought it for him so he accepted.

He tries the outfit and hot damn, it doesn’t look bad at all! Maybe he doesn’t need a stylist. But everything looks good with black so he’ll take his own words with a grain of salt.

He can’t decide what shoes to wear so he takes a picture of himself with his outfit and boots, then another one for the white shoes with black tips.

**Me**   
What do you think?  **15:12**   
[image attachment: boots.jpeg]  **15:12**   
[image attachment: white_shoes.jpeg]  **15:13**

**Haze** **  
** Wow you actually look good **!** **👍😍** **❤️️❤️️** **💕💕** **15:13** **  
** I like the white shoes. Ask Piper and Jason!  **15:13**

**Me** **  
** Will do  **15:14**  
Thanks  **15:14**

\----

**Me** **  
** Hey, Piper. It’s Nico. Hazel wants me to ask you about something  **15:16**

**Piper McLean**  
Sure! What’s up? 😃 **15:17**

**Me**   
It’s about what I’m going to wear later. Do I wear boots or shoes?  **15:18**   
[image attachment: boots.jpeg]  **15:18**   
[image attachment: white_shoes.jpeg]  **15:18**

**Piper McLean**   
Oh definitely the shoes  **😍** **15:19**

**Me**  
Thanks! 👌 **15:20**

 **Piper McLean**  
No problem! 😘 **15:21**

\----

**Me**   
What should I wear?  **15:23**   
[image attachment: boots.jpeg]  **15:24**   
[image attachment: white_shoes.jpeg]  **15:24**

**Jace** **  
** boots look cool!!!  **15:28**   
nvm piper said white looks better  **15:31**   
eh, it does look better. gives you more “color”  **15:33**

**Me** **  
****😂** **15:34** **  
** Thanks **15:35**

\----

**Me**   
Piper and Jason said I should wear the shoes  **15:37**

**Haze** **  
** And theyre right!  **😍😍** **15:37** **  
** Style your hair but not too much  **15:37**   
Just wax and scrunch your hair  **15:38** **  
** Wear the perfume I gave you! **15:38**

**Me**   
Got it. Thanks  **15:38**

**Haze** **  
** 😘😘 **15:37**

He looks at himself one more time in the mirror. Damn, he looks good. He looks at Mrs. O’Leary who’s looking at him from the bed. “What do you think, Mrs. O’Leary? Do I look okay?”

The poodle wiggles her tail but doesn’t do anything else. Nico takes it as a yes.

  
  


Nico fucks around for a few hours since the party starts at 8 PM. He buys groceries, takes his dog for a walk, watches a few episodes of The Legend of Aang, and takes his sweet time in the bath.

He gets out of the bath 45 minutes later, scrubbed, flossed, and brushed in all places, and changes his clothes. He blow-dries his hair and takes Hazel’s advice to scrunch it up. He spritzes his neck with cologne, wears his favorite skull ring from Bianca and two more rings on his fingers, and slots his feet in the white shoes they all told him to wear. He spins around in front of his mirror once, twice before giving himself the ‘okay’ to leave. He’s almost at the threshold when he remembers to grab two condoms and three packets of lube. One might never know when or where the urge might take him. 

He kisses Mrs. O’Leary on her head and leaves his apartment with 10 minutes to spare. He takes his car because he doesn’t want to mess up his hair.

And because no one is really ‘on time’ in a party, he spends at least 30 minutes driving around before saying fuck it and goes inside The Copper Fox at 8:45 PM.

He is greeted by loud music and Tanya, their AAD, at the entrance. She asks him if he has guests and he responds with a ‘yeah’ that is drowned by the  _ insanely _ loud music. He fishes out his phone and texts Jason.

**Me**  
Where are you?  **20:47**

 **Jace**  
around the corner **20:48**

**Me**   
Okay. I’m just by the entrance.  **20:48**

**Jace**  
**👍** **20:49** **  
** were here **20:51**

Nico immediately goes out to meet them. Jason is wearing dark denim pants with a thin white tee under a blue button-up, while Piper wears a band shirt that is tucked inside her black pants that accentuates her long legs. They look really good.

“Hi guys!” He welcomes them with a hug. “I just got here a few minutes ago. Let’s get inside.” Piper grins and immediately sticks to his side, ignoring Jason who only lets out a few chuckles. They probably look funny together since Piper dwarfs him by at least 4 inches (she’s wearing 3-inch red stilettos). He looks like a younger brother escorting his sister to a party because their mom doesn’t want her to have another guy as a date.

“It’s not my first time to these kinds of parties but I’m so nervous! It’s Purple Grave’s wrap party!” Piper squeals beside him.

“Nico, there you are!” Someone grabs his shoulder and he turns to them-- Reyna.

“Oh hey! This is Piper McLean! And that one,” he points behind him, “is Jason! Thalia’s sister!”

“Oh, wow! It is so nice to meet you! I’ve seen some of your movies! Good stuff!” She shakes Piper’s hand and she  _ beams _ .

“Yeah?! Thank you! I am such a fan of your show! I can’t even believe I’m at your wrap party!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about the music! It’s too loud I already--”

Nico looks at Reyna with obvious intent as she talks to Piper, telepathically sending  _ this is Piper, she’s a good actress and a friend. She wants to be on the show. _

She darts her eyes to his direction from time to time, most likely sensing Nico is saying something to her in his mind.

“Your sister is here, follow me!” She shouts to the three of them as she leads them to Thalia who’s talking to Patrick Jackson.

Jason sees Thalia under the dim lights and sneaks up on her, covering her eyes. “What the- if this is Connor or Travis I am going to skin both of you alive!” He removes his hands and she looks over her shoulder. “Jay- what? How? What the fuck?”

“Surprise!” He stretches out his arms and makes jazz hands.

“What are you doing here?!” She hugs him hard, her drink spilling to his sleeves. “Aw, fuck, sorry! Holy shit, you’re here!” Thalia shows him to Patrick who smiles and hugs him too. They start to talk and Nico loses interest because he knows what they’ll be talking about so he ventures out to get a drink. Piper is also gone since Reyna dragged her earlier to meet the other members of  _ the gang  _ who kindly  _ graced  _ their presence.

As time passes by, more people arrive and soon they’re taking group photos, eating the huge cake that Mr. D probably ordered, and drinks their asses off.

Nico introduced Jason and Piper to Apollo who kissed the back of her hand. Apollo also introduced his (lucky) wife, via FaceTime, who was indisposed because of work, to the five of them (Leo & Caly).

Nico is drunk, of course he is, and seeing his friends get snuggly as the night goes on doesn’t sit right with him. More so when he sees Caly get frisky with Leo behind the huge curtains and Piper and Jason making out by the pillar. He wants to get frisky with someone else too! He has worked his ass off this past year and it’s time he unwinds! And it has been a week since he last talked to Will because he’s being weird and won’t answer his texts (he still refused to call him first). He deserves to get crazy! His work is almost done and the only thing that’s left to do is give interviews before and after the show airs! He. Needs. Someone. Now.

He needs Travis.

He looks at him everywhere, the toilet, behind the DJ’s booth, in the bar, behind the bar, with the set designers, camera crew, the boom operators, anyone he could think of.  **Nothing.**

He’s close to pulling his hair out when he sees him emerge behind one of the restricted doors with Connor behind him, snickering and trying to go unnoticed. Of fucking course they’re together. He power walks to them and grabs Travis by the collar pulling him towards the toilet. He pushes Travis behind the door, locks it, and starts mouthing his neck.

“Aw fuck, shit, Nico! Wait, wait,” he says, out of breath from all the sneaking and pulling and pushing.

Nico doesn’t remove his lips and licks a strip on his neck instead. “What? Don’t worry, I brought stuff.” He moves his head and gives the other man a heated kiss.

“Aw fuck, fuck, wait!” Travis holds his shoulders, eventually stopping him from attacking his lips any further.

“What? I’m only tipsy, I can still consent!” Nico pouts. He’s horny and he wants to get it on in this weirdly-lighted bathroom stat.

“I am tipsy, you’re drunk, but it’s not that.”

“What is it then? I told you, I brought stuff!” He squeezes his pocket and the contents give a crinkling sound inside.

“Nico, you’re hot and this whole scenario you’re trying to do is hot, but I’m seeing someone else now.”

“How many times have I told you hanging out with Connor is not considered as ‘seeing’ someone, and I don’t want a threesome with your brother!”

“Ew. No, you fucker. I am seeing someone else. I’m dating someone now. You said we have to stop if any of us started dating someone.”

Nico shoots him a confused look. “What? Who would even date you?”

“Excuse you? I am desirable! No one can resist this.” He gestures to himself and Nico laughs a little. “And it’s Noah. One of the grips.”

Nico has a flash of red hair, green eyes, and a dimpled cheek smiling at him. “Oh. Since when?”

“Hmm,” he scratches behind his right ear, “about three weeks now? Yeah, three weeks.”

“Yeah wow. Okay. Shit. Uh, I’m so happy for you. He’s cute.” He starts to back away, humiliation already starting to climb to his head. “Sorry.” He unlocks the door and rushes out despite Travis calling out to him.

This is embarrassing. This is so fucking embarrassing! This past week has been so surreal he couldn’t even check on his friend and ask what’s new with his life! Good God! Travis is dating someone now and he kissed him! He licked his fucking neck!

He sees a waiter with a tray full of drinks. He grabs two and downs them consecutively. He winces. Vodka. Pure fucking vodka. He gags a little.

He has to fucking get out of here. 

He fishes his phone out from his left side pocket (the right is filled with condoms and lube) and tries to unlock it several times. He succeeds on the 4th time. He clicks Uber but his fucking thumb misses and opens his Line instead. He only has enough clarity to read and comprehend the latest message before he’s copying the hyperlink address and pasting it to his destination.

The next thing he knew he’s outside waiting for his Uber and then he’s on his way to The Circle.

  
  


********

  
  


Cecil checks himself in the mirror one more time before clicking his tongue and getting his phone out. “Will, come on. We’re gonna be late!”

“Do I have to go?”

He gives Will an exasperated look. “Yes! Now wear your shoes and let’s go!”

Will drags himself out and wears his shoes, bangs flopping across his face. He was supposed to visit the barber a few weeks ago but forgot so now he has to suffer. He’s wearing black jeans and a tank top under an oversized orange long-sleeved shirt that goes past his thumbs. A feat since he’s 6’ with orangutan arms. Katie said it shows his freckled shoulders which are supposed to be ‘hot’. He doesn’t know how that could be hot.

“Come on, come on! Let’s go, everybody's there already!” He only has enough time to grab his keys before Cecil is pushing him out the door. They take Will’s Honda Corolla because Cecil doesn’t have a car and ‘Uber would take a long time, Will, we need to go!’

The windows are down and Cecil is singing Linkin Park’s Given Up at the top of his lungs (or just screaming) because that’s who he is as a person. 

When the next track plays, Cecil asks him, “Why aren’t you singing along? I know you like this shit,”

Will lets out a sigh and looks straight ahead. “Eh,”

Cecil removes his phone from the AUX cord and slips it back to his pocket. “What’s wrong, buddy? Is this still about last week?” The way he says ‘buddy’ is a bit condescending, but it’s probably because he had spent the last week moping and Cecil has had enough of his bullshit, so he ignores it.

“‘s nothing, Ces, just ignore me and have fun tonight.”

“Buddy, buddy, buddy. No, I cannot do that. Tonight is all about you! Okay, how about this, you promise to try and have a good time tonight with our friends and I’ll let you mope for another week.”

“Do I get another choice?”

“Nope. That’s it.”

He heaves out a sigh again. “Okay, I’ll try. But I’m not promising anything.”

“That’s good enough. Oh, oh, turn left right here!” Cecil points at an underground parking so Will turns. At least they’re going to have decent parking. He won’t drink tonight, he decides. If he does it’ll just make his stomach hurt in the morning. It’s probably just psychosomatic but he doesn’t want to take any chances.

Will turns the engine off and Cecil leaps out of the car, rushing to his side and pulling a large handkerchief from his back pocket. He arranges it and lifts it to Will’s face. “Hey, hey! What’s this?”

“You have to wear it!”

“Why? It’s only our friends up there. Why do I have to wear a blindfold?”

“The girls made an effort, you have to be surprised or Lou Ellen is gonna be pissed at me for ruining everything.”

Will shakes his head and laughs. “Alright, alright. Give it to me.” Cecil gives him a wide grin and puts the blindfold over his eyes, securing it with two knots.

“And then wear this,” Cecil hands him something small. He examines it with his fingers. Earphones.

“Now this seems excessive,” he deadpans.

“It’s not, just wear it. What music do you want?”

“Up to you,”

“Okay.” Cecil plays ABBA’s Voulez-vous. Will rolls his eyes.

The two boys shuffle towards the elevator, even bumping on several cars and completely tumbling over once along the way. They only relax when they’re finally inside the elevator going up.

“You definitely should’ve blindfolded me here.”

“We’ll do that next time.”

Will whistles the tune while waiting for their destination. He's feeling somewhat good now that the events of last week are finally taking a step back from his mind. Huh, maybe all he needs to do is be surrounded by his friends to forget everything. And ABBA screaming Take A Chance On Me in his ears also helps.

Okay, fuck it. He is going to get fucking  _ hammered. _

The elevator halts and Cecil guides him out. Thankfully nothing is more than a few centimeters taller than the floor so he doesn’t trip again.

They’ve been walking for probably three minutes now and they’re  _ probably  _ still in the hallway. “We’ve been walking for an awfully long time, Ces. Where are we? Are we lost?”

“Nah, just trust me. They rented this room at the end of the hall.”

“I trusted you at the parking lot and now I have a large bruise forming on my knee.”

“That’s one time. Trust me on this one.”

Will feels the wall on his left, they feel like velvet but he isn't sure. He looks down and focuses his sight on the thin gap of his blindfold, all he can see are his feet and red floor. Carpet? If that’s the case then this place is fancy. But most of his friends are broke and lives off scholarship money? Except for Katie, of course. Maybe they chipped in and Katie handled the rest? That’s probably it. 

“Are we there yet? I’m getting tired of taking small steps,”

“Shut up, we’re close.” Will pouts.

Finally, they turn to the left. He can feel the vibration on the walls so there are only two possible things that are making the said vibrations: 1.) from a stereo, and 2.) from someone pounding on the wall. And unless they’re in a sex club where the answer could be both, it is definitely the first one.

“Alright, we’re going in. Mind your head.” Will reaches up to feel the doorframe above him but finds none. The door is probably a lot higher and Cecil is just fucking with him. He gets his answer when Cecil snickers beside him.

“You’re so full of shit, Cecil.”

“Are you ready to remove your blindfold?”

“I was ready to remove it the moment I bumped my knee on that car.”

Cecil rips the handkerchief off and pulls the earphones down without warning.

  
  


********

  
  


The whole cab smells like a wood nymph puked in it. Nico counts the pine air fresheners despite the whole world spinning and stops when he reaches 6. That’s a lot of fucking air fresheners for a tiny car. Who even needs that many? This driver apparently.

Speaking of air fresheners, he left his car in the parking lot. Ah whatever, it’ll be safe there. He’ll just pay for the fine tomorrow if there’s any.

“Having a good night, are we?” The Uber driver asks.

Nico stares at him from the rear-view mirror and gives him a lopsided smile. Enough to be polite, but not enough to allow him to engage in a conversation.

He leans back and closes his eyes. He’s had a few, yes, but he’s not drunk. Travis was wrong. If he’s drunk, could he get into an Uber and go to this party? No. But he’s not drunk so he got into an Uber and he’s on his way to this party.

His phone rings in his pocket. He struggles for a bit in getting it, his ring getting caught in his pocket.

“Yello,” He greets.

_ “Nico, where are you?” _

“N’an Uber. Leonard, say hi to whoever this is!” He points his phone towards his driver and he says hi.

_ “Are you drunk right now?” _

“No, m’not shitfaced. Just pleasantly buzzed. Who’s this?”

_ “It’s your sister! You don’t even know my voice anymore!” _

“Oh, hi sis! M’in an Uber!”

_ “You said that already! Get off the cab! I’m going to get you!” _

“S’that -llowed? Can they do that?”

_ “I don’t know, ask Leonard!” _

“Lenny, you llowed to drop me here?”

“Yes, of course. Why, are you gonna get off?”

“No, jus’ asking.”

He puts his phone back on his ear,  _ “Nico, I heard that! You’re drunk! Get off the car and wait for me!” _

“Oh! We goin’ in a tunnel! Ksshhh kkksshhhh uh-oh we’re in a tunnel no--” he clicks the end button.

“Do you need to get off?” Leonard asks again.

“Nope! Let’s go to my destination, Lenny! Wherever that is!”

  
  


********

  
  


**“SURPRISE!!!!!”**

Will rubs the back of his head in pain from all the hairs Cecil managed to pull out, then pinches his ears.

"Ow, Cecil, that hurt like a bitch!"

Cecil gives an unapologetic smile. "Sorry,"

His eyes are still adjusting from the blindfold and it doesn’t help that the venue is humongous and bright. Wait, humongous? How the fu--

“Let’s give a round of applause for our birthday boy, everybody!!” Someone on the stage screams and everybody is clapping and cheering to him. 

Wow, holy shit. He  _ did not _ expect this at all! The whole place looks like the Gold Room from The Shining only classier and more modern, with hardwood floors, arched doorway, it even has balconies above them. It looks like an opera house converted into a ballroom. He knows jackshit about architecture so he probably could not describe how incredible this place is when asked.

The band starts to sing and he realizes that it’s his favorite band, The Harpies. Holy shit, this is insane! How the fuck?! And this place is so huge he doesn’t know a lot of people why are there so many people?!

A hand touches his shoulder and turns, ready to scream at Cecil about how  _ insane _ this whole thing is when he sees a small blonde, eyes sparkling with joy.

“Aunt Timmy!” he shrieks and hugs her tight. “You’re here!”

“Of course! I won’t forgive myself if I don’t at least make an effort to be here.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. “Happy birthday, Wilhelm.”

“Thank you so much!” He gives her a tight hug again and sways left and right. “Did you do this by yourself?”

“Heavens no, your mom and dad organized everything. My contribution to this whole thing is only food and drinks. And I know the owner of this place.”

“This is insane! All my life I never knew there’s a place like this in here,”

“Most people don’t. It’s an exclusive club and the annual membership is expensive, even for me and your dad.”

Will makes an impressed face. “Wow, that is impressive.”

A girl with blue hair comes in and whispers something in his aunt’s ear. She then looks at her watch and frowns. Will smiles as he knows already what’s going to happen.

Artemis looks remorseful when she lifts her head to him. “Wilhelm, I--”

“It’s okay, auntie. I know you’re a busy person.”

“Yes, but I specifically told them I need the night off. I didn’t even ask for the whole day, just this night.” She’s already opening her arms for another hug and Will crouches down to accept it. “I am so sorry, Wilhelm.”

“It’s okay. I understand. Thank you for this. I love you.”

“I love you too, my sweet boy. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Say hi to your father for me. He’ll be here later.”

He taps her shoulder for comfort and she plants a kiss on his temple, then she’s waving goodbye to him as the blue-haired girl discusses something.

Will looks around again. His friends are having fun, eating, talking, and taking pictures when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He pulls it out and sees his mom on FaceTime. He rushes outside, saying  _ excuse me’ _ s and  _ I’m sorry’ _ s to people on his way. When he’s finally alone, he plugs his earphones in and accepts the call.

“Hey, mom!”

“Hi, baby! Happy birthday!”

He blushes, which is stupid because this is his mom. “Thanks, mom.”

“Baby, I’m really sorry I can’t be there tonight. I know I’m just making an excuse and I can leave anytime I want but I really have to finish recording my songs. I don’t even know why they insisted I do it here in New York when I could perfectly do it in our house.”

“Mom, it’s fine. I understand. You’re busy, Aunt Timmy is busy, dad is probably busy I haven’t seen him yet, but Aunt Timmy said he’ll be here later.”

“He better be or I’ll withhold sex from him,”

He grimaced in disgust, “Mom! I don’t need to hear that!” 

“Oh shush, you’re gonna be a doctor, you’ll hear worse than me and your dad’s sex life.”

“But that’s my job!” His mom laughs at his protests, a very pleasant sound if you ask him. She looks at him with so much affection that his heart twinges.

“I love you, baby, so much. Oh god, you’re already 25. Soon you’ll find someone and then you’re gonna get married and have kids and then you’ll leave me and your dad,” she says as tears fall her smooth face. Will wants to hug her so much.

“Mom, you know that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I’m not even with anyone yet,” no matter how desperately he wants to be, “and I still have 10 more years of school left. I’m gonna leech off from the two of you until I’m 35.” He’s not. He is going to apply for residency after med school and use his own money as much as he can for his graduate studies. He’s going to apply for a loan but he will not take any more money from his parents after he graduates.

“Oh, baby. I don’t mind at all. You are doing something incredible. I don’t mind being your sponsor throughout your education.”

Will smiles at her. “Yeah, I know that.”

“Ah yeah, I forgot to ask. Ellis and his band are there, right?”

His eyes bug out from how casual his mom referred to the lead singer of his favorite band. “You know them?!”

“Of course! They owe me after what I did for them once so I cashed in the favor. Did you like it?”

“Uh, duh? Of course I liked it! I loved it, mom! You really are the best. I love you!”

“I love you too, baby.”

“I know you’re busy so I’m gonna let you go now.”

“Okay, baby. Enjoy your night. Happy birthday!”

“Thanks, mom. See you next week.”

He puts his phone back in his pocket and heads back inside.

  
  


“There’s the birthday boy!” Lou Ellen shouts as she sees him. His other friends cheer as well. His friends surround him, hugging and clapping his arms and shoulders, greeting him happy birthday.

“Thanks, guys.”

Katie hands him a champagne flute which he accepts. “Thanks,” he mouths to her, tipping the flute against his lips and downing the drink in one go.

“Wow, someone wants to party,” she says, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Of course! This is my party!”

Cecil shoves an appetizer in his mouth and says, “This place is crazy, Will! Where did your dad even find this place?”

“Aunt Timmy said it’s always been here and she knows the owner. She also said that this is a club with crazy expensive annual membership fees that even my dad finds costly.”

They all make sounds of awe except Katie.

“Is your mom a member, Katie?” Malcolm asks.

“Hm, I don’t know, maybe? She doesn’t tell me much when it comes to places like this.” She answers.

“We don’t have to worry about that, guys. Will’s got the place, there’s plenty of food and drinks, and summer classes start next week. We. Can. Get hammered!!” Sherman hollers and gulps two shots of tequila from a passing waitress.

“You’re gonna make yourself sick, Sherman. Eat some food first.” Katie chastises him.

“You’re no fun, you know,” he says and leaves, probably to get food.

“Where’s Billie?” Will asks Cecil who’s eating shrimp in a skewer. Katie hangs on his side while Lou Ellen, Sherman, and Malcolm are already ahead of them.

“She said she’ll go to the toilet. That was 10 minutes ago. Now I’m convinced she got flushed down the toilet and is now in another state with how huge this place is.”

“You have to call her, alright? I don’t want to get hammered alone. We’re gonna drink like law students on a Thursday night!”

  
  


********

  
  


“Yup?”

_ “Nico, this is Frank. Where are you?” _

“Uh-oh, I’m reeeeeeeally in trouble now, huh?”

_ “No, you’re not. Just tell me where you are and I’ll pick you up.” _

“Frankie, Frankie. Even if I do, I dunno where I am.”

_ “Your driver dropped you off?” _

“Nope!” He says, emphasizing the ‘p’. “I puked a little in his car and he threw me out.”

_ “Jesus, Neeks. Do you see any people nearby?” _

“Uh, I can see children.”

_ “Teenagers? Good. Give the phone to one of them.” _

“Yeah, sure. If you want my penis on TMZ tomorrow okay, yeah, sure, imma give it to ‘em.”

_ “Aw, Nico, wait, don’t. Do you see any convenience stores nearby?” _

“No. It’s bright though. Like, superrrrr bright. Imma check on something, byeeeee!!”

_ “No, Nico wa--” _

  
  


********

  
  


Will just finished eating his pulled pork sandwich when a man suddenly grabs him by the neck and gives him a noogie. “What the--” he says, bracing himself on the floor to not fall and clenches his fist, ready to attack if need be.

“Happy birthday, Wilhelm!” his dad screams in his ear.

“Dad?! You almost gave me a heart attack!” He twists himself from his dad’s hold and hugs him hard.

“Oof,” he stumbles but regains his balance again. “Did you like it?”

“How did you do this?”

“Eh, I didn’t really. I hired people to do it, got your friends to tell me what you want and upped it about 10 times and ta-da!”

“Thanks, dad.” He says sincerely. “Oh yeah, Aunt Timmy was here earlier but she had to bounce. She said this place is a club and how come I didn’t know you have a membership to a place like this?”

“My, my, lots of questions, dear Willie, eh? You turn 25 and suddenly it's a question and answer now for your dear ol’ dad?”

Will glares at him, unimpressed.

“Alright, alright. CC was-is- a good friend. She gave me a discount when I rented the place, said she could use a night off.”

“And how much was that discount?”

His dad dismisses the question with a wave of hand. “Don’t worry about it. Anything for my first born.”

“Dad, you could’ve donated the money for charity.”

“Yeah, I did that too. Who do you think I am?” Apollo rolls his eyes at him which he does as well. “I could donate to charity  _ and  _ give you a nice birthday. It’s the only thing me and your mom could do. We’re always busy we almost don’t have time for you boys.”

Will’s face softens at his father’s words. He did not know they felt like that at all. “It’s okay, dad. You were never neglectful to me or any of us, if that’s what you're worried about. I know the two of you are busy doing your craft and I’m just happy you never forced me to do anything I don’t wanna do. You two supported me when I told you I wanted to be a doctor, not follow you or mom’s steps in showbusiness, you’re taking care of David and Aiden, hell, the two of you even go to their PTA meetings even if you know people are just going to ask for your pictures.” 

Will chuckles a little bit, “Yeah, that’s true. We do it because we want to experience the mundane things. Have a taste of normalcy even if they won’t let us.”

“Exactly. You still make an effort. Thank you.” Will opens his arms for a proper hug which his dad enthusiastically accepts.

“But seriously, dad. You don’t have to do this again, okay? If you really want to reserve a place, just rent that karaoke bar in Santa Lucia. I’m good with that.”

“The biggest bar in Santa Lucia for your 26th birthday. Got it,”

“Daaaad!” Will whines but laughs anyway.

“Before I forget, I know you’re planning to get shitfaced tonight based on how much your friends are eating.” he points at Katie and the others who wave at him in return, “There are rooms upstairs with room service all-night and other paraphernalia. If you know what I mean.” He waggles his eyebrows at him.

He rolls his eyes for the 234th time this night, “Dad, we’re not gonna do drugs.”

“No, not drugs. I know you won’t do drugs. You are way too good to be my son, to be honest. What’s up with that?”

“You had me at 16, excuse me if I don’t want to do the things you’ve done before.”

“Well, anyway, the rooms are stocked with lube, condoms, sex toys, you name it. If you need something just pick up the phone and press 0 and they’ll bring you whatever you want. Horse dildos, dragon dildos, strap-ons, dental dams, even fucking mint. Their stock room is packed with  _ anything  _ you can think of.”

Will immediately covers his ears but his dad is still rambling. “Dad no! We’re just gonna get drunk!”

“You have to utilize the services, I spent a lot of money to get this place for you,”

“No, no, nope! Can you go? I know you still have a party to attend to.”

His dad looks at his watch, “Our wrap party, yes. I told them I have somewhere to be before going so I can stay a little longer.”

“Dad, please, it’s fine, you can go.” Will gently pushes his dad to the direction of the door. “Bye, dad! Thank you for all of this. I love you, you can go to your wrap party now! Buh-bye!”

“I haven’t seen your brother yet, I wanna say hi!”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t seen Michael yet. I’m gonna tell ‘im you said hi!”

“Alright, alright! I’m gonna go, let me hug you one last time tonight.”

Will stops in his tracks. His dad smooths the imaginary wrinkle on his shirt and hugs him tight, even lifting him from the ground a little bit. He groans. 

“Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you, too, dad. I mean it, thank you for this party.”

“Don’t get sappy on me, boy. It’s just your birthday, not your wedding day.”

“Okay,” he smiles at him. Apollo walks away. 

“Hey, dad!” Apollo turns to him, walking backwards. “How come you know this place anyway?”

Apollo cups his and around his mouth and shouts, “All your brothers were conceived here.”

Will grimace in disgust and shivers.

  
  


********

  
  


Hazel’s shoes click-clacks on the fiberglass floor as she paces back and forth. It’s been 15 minutes since Frank called Nico and his brother is ignoring his phone  _ again. _ It’s late, he’s drunk, and he doesn’t have any cash in him. Good thing he left his car at the parking lot or else she will track him down like a goose during hunting season.

“Is he still not answering?” She asks Frank when he comes back.

He pockets his phone and answers, “Sorry, babe. No dice.”

“Oh god,” she looks around and spots Connor. “Hey, Connor!” She shouts but he doesn’t hear her. She goes down from their spot, careful not to trip in her ankle boots, and walks to him.

Connor turns and beams when he sees her. “Hey, Haze! How’s it going?!”

“Not good, have you seen Nico?” She yells because this club is so dang loud.

“No!” Connor yells back, covering one ear with a hand since his other hand is holding a drink. “But he’s with Travis earlier! You can ask him,” he points to his right and Hazel follows his hand. Sure enough, Travis is there talking to a redhead with his arm around his shoulder. She marches to him.

“Travis! Travis!” She yells again. All this yelling is bad for her voice. She reminds herself to drink lemon ginger tea before going to bed.

Finally, after calling his name 6 more times, Travis looks at her direction.

“Hey, Haze! How’s it going?!” Sometimes it’s creepy how Connor and Travis are so similar even though they’re not twins.

She gestures for her to come closer so she won’t have to yell anymore. Travis whispers something to his companion, who just smiles and kisses him on the lips, and stands up, walking to her. “What’s up?”

“Nico went out and he’s drunk, he’s not answering his phone anymore. Do you know where he might have gone?”

“Nico! he, uh… he,” Travis stutters. “I dunno,” he shrugs. “I haven’t seen him at all tonight. Oh look, Noah’s calling me,” she quickly looks up to ‘Noah’ and sees him eating, not even looking at their general direction. “I gotta bounce, bye! Nice to see you again!”

He attempts to run but Hazel immediately grabs him by the hem of his shirt, instantly stopping him. “What’s going on? Why are you being weirder than usual?”

“Me? Weirder than usual? Noo, this is just lil ol’ me, being regular weird!”

Hazel narrows her eyes at him because he’s clearly evading. Travis is hiding something from her, so she says it. “You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

“What?! Noooo,” he shakes his head rapidly like a malfunctioning toy robot. Guilt is a funny look at him and she would laugh if her brother wasn’t missing. 

“You’re so full of shit, Travis. What happened to you and Nico and where is he?!” She fists his shirt, pulls him down to her line of sight, and glares at him. It seems to do the trick since he folds like a cheap suit.

“We were just talking earlier and then he walked out. I didn’t do anything wrong, I promise!”

“Did he tell you where he was going?! I swear Travis if you lie to me you will regret it!”

“No, no! I’m not!”

She eyes him carefully, deciding whether or not he’s lying to her face. Hazel lets him go after a few moments when she sensed there’s nothing more to what he’s saying. Travis smooths down his collar while pouting. Cute, like a raccoon pouting, Hazel thinks.

“I want you to watch out for Nico if he comes back, okay? And when he does, call me.” Travis nods his head. “I mean it, Travis. Call. Me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He says and she’s turning and going back to her friends.

“Did he know?” Leo asks, he looks guilty, and so are Caly, Jason, and Piper.

Jason stops pacing and puts his phone back in his pocket, probably giving up on calling Nico. “Hazel, I’m sorry I didn’t notice Nico leave. Thalia got me distracted,”

“Me too. I should’ve stayed with him. I am so sorry, Hazel.” Piper adds.

“It’s fine, guys. He’s a grown man, he can do whatever he wants. It’s not your fault. I’m not mad because he left, I’m upset because he left drunk as a skunk. What is so important that he couldn’t be bothered to ask any of us to go with him?”

  
  


********

  
  


Will, still shuddering about what he heard from his dad, scours the floor for his missing brother. It has been a good 5 months since he last saw his brother and he could not wait to see him. 

“Michael!” He shouts. Why are there so many people here? He only recognizes a few faces, all of them from med school or undergrad, so who the hell are these people? Are they industry people? Michael’s co-stars?

He approaches a lady in a fancy blue dress. This lady could be Michael’s co-star, he thinks. “Excuse me, have you seen Michael?”

The lady smiles broadly and hugs him. “Oh,” he says, startled.

“Happy birthday, dear!”

Will gives her an awkward smile. “Uh, thanks? Have you seen Michael?”

“Michael?”

“Yeah, my brother. Uh, Michael Solace? I mean, Yew. Michael Yew?” He cocks an eyebrow at her.

“Michael Yew is your brother?”

“Uh, yes?”

“You both got the jackpot in the genetics lottery.” 

“Thanks, I guess?” Then the lady goes back to talking with another guy like Will did not just ask her a question. He lets out an exasperated sigh and finds another person to bother when he sees him.

Michael is wearing gray pants with a denim jacket over a plain white tee. He looks relaxed and having fun.

“Michael!” He shouts, catching the attention of his brother immediately.

“Wilhelm!” Michael shouts back. He excuses himself from the man he’s talking to and runs to Will. 

“How are you, man! It’s been 5 months!” he greets. They execute the intricate handshake they made when they were still kids. They laugh at the end and give each other a short hug.

“I’m great! Been busy with work, though. Rehearsals and all that. You should come on opening night! I’ll send you and Katie tickets.”

“Oh, have I not told you before? We broke up like a year ago.”

“Yeah, you told me. I just assumed you’re back together since I’ve seen her and your Instagram posts.”

Will mentally recalls all the pictures he had posted on his social media accounts in the past 6 months. If he remembers correctly, it’s all of them hanging out. There was never a picture where he’s alone with Katie. Maybe Katie posts pictures on her Instagram that could give other people the wrong idea? He reminds himself to check his and her socials later.

“No, no, we’re still broken up.”

“Is she here though?”

“Yep.”

Michael narrows his eyes at him. “Right, you’re still broken up. Got it.” He clicks his tongue.

He rolls his eyes. Let him assume whatever he wants, he doesn’t care. “Enough about me, man, what about you? How are you?”

“How can we talk about me? This is literally your party!”

“Nah,” he laughs. “I don’t wanna talk about me! Let’s talk about you!”

His face turns serious, unblinking. “I don’t want to.”

They get into an impromptu glare match but burst into snickers 15 seconds in.

“Glad to see you’re small as ever, shortstack. How’s the weather down there?”

“Fine, a little humid but I’ll live. I’ll shove your words down your throat when I suddenly grow 7 inches, just wait.”

“Please,” Will scoffs. “You’re already 21, you’ve stopped growing years ago. If you’re growing anything it’s sugar crystals in your bloodstream from how much you eat sweets.”

The lights around the whole place dimmed, making the brothers look around. Then, from a door in his far left, Katie and Lou Ellen come out with a huge cake with A LOT of candles. He guesses 25 candles but still, that’s too many candles for one cake.

Everybody around him sings happy birthday, even his stupid brother who’s grinning from ear to ear. He thanks all his lucky stars he’s in one of those moods where he is okay with all the attention he’s getting because he’d be a huge wet blanket if he did not listen to Cecil earlier.

Ellis Wakefield is singing him a happy birthday, one of his brothers is here, his friends are having a good time,  _ he’s _ having a good time. Everything is just great.

  
  


********

  
  


Nico opens the door of The Circle's regular club, a little bit out of breath but still perfectly fine. The surprisingly cold air of the night did wonders for his state. He is still drunk but can walk properly now without tripping in his own feet. He guesses that’s bound to happen when you’ve spent at least 30 minutes walking to your destination.

He smooths his shirt and checks his blazer for vomit. Finding none, he approaches the bar confidently. Or at least he thinks so. He can’t be sure.

“Excuse me, mister. May I speak to your manager, please?” He says, giving his most  _ charming _ smile. 

One of the bartenders gives him a look over and smirks. He then presses something under his apron and goes back to serving customers. A few moments later, a blond who looks too smug for his own good appears from behind the red curtains. He’s wearing a purple shirt under a black three-piece suit. Nico wants to break his nose.

He smiles pompously at Nico. “Good evening, sir. How may I help you this fine evening?”

Nico groans at the back of his throat. He does not care if the pretentious fuck hears him. He pulls out his phone from his left pocket and opens Lou Ellen’s message.

“You’re Octavian, right?”

“Yes, sir.” He answers, shit-eating grin on his face. God, he wants to punch him so bad.

He straightens his back and clears his throat to give himself a deeper voice. “I’m looking for the party in the back.”

“Are you sure you’re in the right place,  _ sir? _ ” He asks again with a raised eyebrow and gives him a look over as if telling himself Nico is not rich enough to be in this place. 

As much as he despises using his family’s influence to get what he wants, there are times where he has to pull his nepotism card and flash it to everybody, and this is one of those times. “You know, I may not be a member of this exclusive club but I know at least two, hm, maybe four of your most important clients, so if I were you, I’d wipe that shit-eating, fake hospitality smile off your face before I do and let me in. Yeah?”

The smug bastard cocks his eyebrow even higher at him. “What’s your name?” He asks, civility completely out of his tone and body language.

“Nico.”

“Okay,  _ Nico,  _ they-”

He interrupts him. “That’s Mister di Angelo for you,  _ Octavian. _ ” The other man’s eyes widened. Nico gives him his own shit-eating grin.

He scrambles in his feet and looks around him, his eyes darting on the cameras pointing at them. “Oh, I am so sorry Mister di Angelo. I did not know it was you. Right this way, please.” He bows a little and gestures for Nico to follow him.

He looks around the dimly-lit hallway. It’s been a long time since he last stepped in the place but it is still beautiful. His skin tingles from the memory of spending countless nights in this place.

Octavian opens another curtain and finally they are inside Nico’s most favorite room in the whole building: the Crystal Room. It’s really just a bright, mirror-filled room with a crystal chandelier. A small one at that, a 10x10, but in the middle of it is an elevator that goes three floors up where the  _ magic _ happens. Octavian then bows and closes the curtain, leaving Nico alone. He gets in and presses the button.

The elevator opens in another room with a huge curtain covering the other side, just like the Crystal Room. He can hear people shouting and laughing and singing along, the clacking of plates, and the clinking of glass. The music is not the usual ones they play so Nico wonders how filthy rich Will’s parents must be to afford to rent the whole goddamn place for his birthday party. Jesus, even his dad won't blow that much money for one night.

He steps out of the elevator and walks straight out of the room. There are people  _ everywhere. _ It’s like he’s in the goddamn Room 5AB during Comic Con. It isn’t usually like this, of course. The place is normally filled with runways and booths and mini stages with pole dancing poles and statues, like a proper club. They revamped the whole place to accommodate the party.

His buzz is losing so he goes to the bar and asks for 5 shots of their best tequila.

  
  


He loses track of time in the bar and he only stops when he sees a woman with wavy dark hair. He shakes his head and blinks rapidly a couple of times.

He sways a little bit and almost falls off the stool, but he regains his footing and tries to follow the dark-haired woman he saw a few moments ago. He loses sight of her, of course.

He grabs a few green foods from a passing waitress and munches on them, then he grabs a glass of water and drinks again. He runs to the bathroom and pisses like a racehorse.

The whole floor is bathed in blue light when Nico emerges from the bathroom and the floors are vibrating with how loud the bass is playing from the speakers. The band must have gone home, he thinks. He looks at the stage and sure enough, their spot is filled with a DJ. He smiles to himself.

Nico wanders again. He scales the walls with his eyes like it’s the first time he sees them under the blue lights. He avoids people in what his clouded mind considers are fancy clothes for fearing he might meet someone he knows. He isn’t sure who but he has a feeling.

His hands are still dripping from washing his hands (he’s drunk, not an animal) when he sees a group of people (teenagers? kids?) huddled together in one of the bars, downing shots after shots of clear liquid.

He looks at them from afar. He recognizes the two even though they all look like the blue aliens from Avatar, Cecil and Lou Ellen.

“Let’s give it up for the man of the night!!!” the DJ screams in his microphone and a spotlight shines on the person beside Cecil. Everybody cheered. It’s Will. He raises a shot glass and swallows the liquid in it. More cheering.

God, he looks so damn good. 

The DJ goes back to his job and Will is ignored once more by 98% of the guests.

Nico rushes over to Will when he sees him move away from his drinking buddies to the bar. “Hey!” He yells. Will does not hear him.

“Hey!” He yells again, this time closer.

When Will sees him he looks utterly surprised.

“Hey! Neeks!” Will’s smile reaches his eyes. It’s cute. “What are you doing here?!”

“Lou Ellen invited me!” he pulls his phone out from his pocket and swipes the notifications away. He opens his WhatsApp and shows Lou Ellen’s massage. Will narrows his eyes at it like the light is hurting his eyes.

“Great!” he shouts and Nico slides his phone back to his pocket.

Nico stands on his tiptoes and leans closer to Will’s ear. “Let’s dance!”

Will grabs Nico’s wrist and they move to the people dancing in the middle of the floor. He turns his back to Will and sways his hips seductively, making sure to get into Will’s personal space. When Will does nothing, he grabs the nearest man on his left and dances with him instead. Nico rolls his body to the stranger and he gets on with the program quickly by putting a hand on Nico’s chest, slowly sliding it down to his stomach then inner thigh. He lets the man touch him, relieved to have another hand caress his body. An idea comes to mind and he shifts so Will has a full view of what is happening.

Will glares at him, then at the man, then back at him while he’s standing there like a lunatic, not even tapping his foot in time with the beat. He looks furious, his eyes dark under the blue light, almost predatory. He grins again.

Nico leans closer to the unnamed man, “Grab my ass, make it good,” he yells because the floor is loud and Will can’t hear him. The man, bless him, obliges and palms his ass harshly with one hand, the other one curled protectively around his hips, keeping him close, and Nico would whine and cling if he weren’t riling up the blond behind him. 

A hand grabs his shoulder and pulls him back roughly. The man disappears and Will is growling in his ear, “Are you trying to make me fucking jealous? Because it’s fucking working,” Nico gasps.

His whole body is thrumming in anticipation. His head is empty save for the music that’s fuelling his intention. He hasn’t seen this side of Will yet and fuck if it isn’t making him want to provoke him some more. 

He ignores the question, he wouldn’t hear him answer anyway. He reaches for Will’s hand on his shoulder and puts it on his hips. He feels Will moving behind him, feeling him up. Then Will starts mouthing the back of his ears so he cocks his head to the right, giving Will more skin to lick.

He pushes his ass back to Will and moans when Will starts grinding his hips against his ass.

Fuck yeah, this is what he wanted ever since he saw Leo and Caly. Ever since he started sending his photos.

Will grips his hips tight enough to bruise and roughly turns him around. He lets out a yelp before Will is attacking his lips with his own. He wraps his arms around him and kisses him just as hard. He cups his jaw and lifts Nico’s thigh to his hips then grinds into him again.

Fuck, he’s so fucking hard. Nico moans again.

Will breaks the kiss and mouths his jaw, his neck, then bites his exposed clavicle. “Let’s get out of here,” Nico pants. “Fuck, take me away from here,”

Will tongues the shell of his ear and bites his lobe. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. “Let’s go,” he says and Nico nods his head, eager to go.

  
  


********

  
  


Will pulls Nico behind him, dodging every person in front of him. Fuck this place, why is it so big and full of people?! They have been walking for what it felt like hours and still they haven’t left the floor. Where the fuck are those rooms his dad kept yapping about earlier?!

He grabs the arm of the waitress that’s walking past him, “Sorry,” he says, thinking he grabbed her hard. “Where are the rooms?”

She doesn’t seem to recognize him under the blue lights, and if she does she doesn’t show it. “Straight ahead, you’ll see a neon sign to the elevator.”

“Thanks,” He gently tugs Nico forward so he’s walking ahead of him.

He’s pissed. God, he’s pissed  _ and _ fucking jealous. Who the fuck even is that guy? Touching Nico like he knows him. Grabbing his ass like they had 7 months of tension looming over them.

He pushes Nico again, the smaller man almost trips.

He sees the neon sign the girl was talking about and then they’re in another dark hallway with neon lights at the end. Nico pushes the curtain out of the way and they’re in another room with only an elevator in it.

_ Woah _ , he thinks. They get in and he presses the single button in it. The elevator moves and moments later they’re in the lobby of another floor. It’s wide, brightly lit, and has several doors in it.

Will steps out first and pulls Nico along. He opens the nearest door and pushes Nico inside. He shuts the door close and the sound of electronic lock as it secures the room is music to his ears.

Nico pulls him down for a heated kiss which he returns, nipping at Nico’s bottom lip and soothing it with his tongue. Nico hitches a breath and he slides his tongue in, licking at the back of his teeth. Fuck, Nico tastes incredible. The bitter taste of alcohol and something sweet coating his tongue. It’s fucking addicting.

He hauls Nico’s thighs up so his legs are circling his hips and walks to the bed. He drops him down and Nico moves back to the center of the bed, his face flushed and his lips swollen. A fucking good look on him.

He toes his shoes off and crawls to him. He pushes Nico down when he attempts to meet him halfway and kneels over him and pulls his shirt off from the hem. He’s down on his tank top but it still feels so fucking hot, so he removes it.

Nico gives a shuddering breath, “Fuck,”

It’s his time to smirk at him. “Like what you see?”

Nico nods, visibly swallows and pushes himself up with his elbows. “Fuck yeah,”

Will helps him up so he’s kneeling in front of him. Then he grips Nico’s blazer and pulls it down from behind, making Nico groan in pain. He throws it aside while Nico removes his shirt by himself.

_ Fuck, _ he’s gorgeous. With his pale skin flushed pink, lean stomach, toned arms. He looks good enough to eat.

“ _ Fuck, _ you look really good,” Nico says, eyes lidded and hair all mussed up. He dives again for another hard kiss.

He unbuttons Nico’s pants while the other man is panting against his lips and shoves it down along with his underwear. Nico helps him remove the rest of his clothing and rises again on his knees to give Will a kiss that’s more tongue and teeth than lips.

His cock is so pretty he wants to put it in his mouth and swallow his cum. He grabs his ass and spreads it wide. Nico lets out a high-pitched whine. Christ, he wants to make him cry. 

“Take it off, take it off” Nico demands.

Will lets Nico pop his button open and pull his pants down. He laughs at his grunts and irritated sighs when he couldn’t pull it down smoothly as Will did with his.

Nico gives up in the end but what he does next is just as cruel as Will’s refusal to cooperate. He touches Will’s dick through his pants and crouches down. “Fuck, Nico, fuck,” Will mutters when Nico starts mouthing his bulge.

He pulls Nico up by the hair so they’re eye to eye again and pushes him down to the bed. Then he gets off the bed and flips Nico by his hips so he's on his stomach and takes off his shoes for him. 

He pulls open the bedside drawer and examines it. Various kinds of lube are lined perfectly, along with different sizes and brands of condoms. He opens another drawer and there it is, the dildos and vibrators his dad were so proud of earlier.

He takes the most normal looking water-based lube in the drawer and his size of condom and throws it on the bed. He looks back on the other drawer, considers everything, and picks up an egg vibrator. Then he tears the box off with his teeth and fishes out a toy cleaner that is sitting alongside the others and pours a generous amount on it. He pulls out a few wads of tissue from a nearby table and wipes it frantically. He throws it on the bed without looking and takes off his pants and socks.

“Get on all fours,” he orders Nico while palming himself. Jesus he’s so hard. He’s never been this fucking hard before. An image of him sucking Nico’s cock flashes his mind and his mouth fucking  _ waters. _

“I changed my mind, lie on your back and spread your legs,” Will growls, but instead of a whine or moan, he is met with silence.

“Nico?” Nothing. “Nico?” He tries again, still nothing.

Shit, what is going on? Did he somehow imagine the whole thing? Does he miss Nico that much to start hallucinating him? But it felt so real! His lips felt real. No, that ass he was grinding on earlier at the dancefloor? That was real. He’s sure of it. You can’t imagine an ass that firm.

He shakes his head and rubs his eyes gently, trying to focus on the bed in front of him.

Nico is lying on his side with his back against him.

“Nico?” he calls out again. Still nothing. He rounds to the bed to check if Nico is alright.

His heart pounds in his chest. His hands are getting clammy. “Nico?”

_ Oh fuck, what if something happened to him? What if he hit his head and he’s bleeding? Get your shit together, Solace, you know first aid, you can help him if he hit his head. _

He darts his eyes around, looking for anything hard that could give someone a head trauma. There’s none.

“Neeks, are you okay?” He’s close. He touches Nico’s pale legs. Still warm. Good. Thank fuck. But that doesn’t mean shit. He checks his toes. Okay, his nail beds are still pink. He feels his ankle. A strong pulse. He lets out a sigh of relief.

Will kneels beside him and moves him gently so he’s lying on his back. He hovers his fingers above Nico’s lip and is completely pleased to feel his warm breath against his skin. He just fell asleep.

Will rubs his face and ruffles up his hair. Thank God he just fell asleep. He chuckles to himself. 

He moves Nico’s bangs away from his face and caresses his cheek. He looks so serene, so beautiful. And when he shudders from the cold, Will scrambles to find his discarded underwear. He wears him his boxers and drapes the duvet over him, cocooning him in warmth. Nico nuzzles into it and sighs. He plants a soft kiss on his forehead.

Will drinks a glass of water from the tap and uses the phone to ask for some aspirin which they deliver a few moments later. He's not driven by desire anymore and by now he’s mostly sober, which is surprising considering he was downing shots after shots earlier with his friends.

Speaking of friends, he never told them where he was going. He considers texting Cecil but decides not to, figures he must’ve thought something was up when he did not go back to them.

He picks up Nico’s phone. He has 81 missed calls and at least 57 texts. The battery is down to 10% so he rummages the drawers of his bedside table for a charger. He finds one and charges Nico’s phone. He also folds his rumpled pants and laughs at the contents of his right pocket.

After folding his discarded clothes, he grabs another glass of water and places it on Nico’s bedside table along with a single aspirin. He would need it tomorrow.

Will crawls under the covers and closes his eyes, hoping for a good day tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TL;DR**
> 
> Nico gets drunk at Purple Grave's wrap party and gets a little upset when he finds out Travis is putting a stop to their arrangement since he started dating someone. He goes to Will's birthday party with ambiguous intent at first then initiates sexual contact(??????) with him. Will, also drunk, reciprocates but Nico falls asleep before anything can happen.
> 
> The last "scene" is one of the first few scenes that entered my mind that made me want to write this fic so I'm happy it's finally out there.
> 
> And I don't know if it's a law school thing but most law students I know drinks like a fish so my friends deserve a shoutout from their efforts lol
> 
> This is what Nico [wore](https://nextluxury.com/wp-content/uploads/casual-fashion-wear-all-black-outfits-mens-ideas.jpg) in my mind. This is [Piper's](https://64.media.tumblr.com/bddc5ca453b822c08f178fcf56fee26e/tumblr_mo6s9vkaSc1qivllro1_500.jpg) and [Jason's](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/63/29/6d/63296d2fc1e381cede769731ce24a1e4.jpg). And this is [link Michael's](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0162/2116/files/Casual_outfits_for_young_guys_4.jpg?v=1544530337)
> 
> This is what The Circle regular club looks like when it's [empty](https://heritageperth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Ballroom-empty-e1484187536154.jpg).
> 
> I took _The Circle_ from my Solangelo band au that I think will never see the light of day and yes, it is run by Circe. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm on [Tumblr](https://haatorii.tumblr.com/).


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **CW:** emeto
> 
> I said I'm gonna post this on Saturday. Well, I lied but here it is! It's a bit _off_ again, but not as much as chapter 12 lol
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Nico wakes up with a groan in his lips and an itch on his back.

Oh fuck, he forgot to drink antihistamine before he started drinking! Fuck fuck fuck! He clenches his fists hard as he slowly removes the arm curled around his waist, and goes straight to what he thinks is a bathroom so he won’t scratch his back. The sudden absence of warmth around his body makes him shudder. 

The lights turn on automatically when he enters so he has enough time to look around before he’s crouching over the toilet to dry heave. Aw, fuck dry-heaving. Better let him puke everything out right this instant, at least it would all be over in a few minutes, than to retch for over 30 minutes and then puking all over himself because he thought nothing’s gonna come out.

Eventually, he throws up. It’s mostly liquid so everything he ate last night was still down. Good. He spits a couple more times before flushing the toilet. Nico washes his mouth and face and examines himself in the mirror. He looks extra pale and sweaty despite the AC in full blast.

Nico vaguely remembers where he is, then he sees the familiar logo of The Circle. “Ah yeah,” he mutters to himself.

Nico’s eyes widened as he recalls the events last night. “Shit!” He rushes out of the bathroom which is a bad idea because he nearly falls from dizziness. He groans and props himself on the doorframe. He sees a familiar mop of blond hair under the covers. “Fuck me.”

Did they have sex last night? Oh god. He rubs his temples, relieving himself from his headache a little bit. But he’s not sore anywhere, be it his mouth or ass. He looks at Will as best as he can without falling over. He doesn’t look tired or sore either. Maybe the evidence is under the blanket? Did he top this gorgeous son of a bitch last night? He had topped a few times, yes, but he usually prefers to be fucked. Is Will really that irresistible that he forgot his preference? 

He’s too hungover for this bullshit. He needs to sleep some more. It’s already, he looks at the digital clock on the bedside table, 4:47 AM and it’s too cold so he needs to sleep. Nico goes back inside the bathroom and drinks a few gulps of water then he’s back under the covers, burrowing himself in the warmth of the bed and Will’s body heat.

He wakes up again a couple of hours later. Will is once again curled behind him, trapping him with his heat and a strong arm around his chest. It feels wonderful. But his lower back is killing him. Nico looks at his arm and sees that the red blotches have reached his shoulders overnight. Ugh, this is not good. It’s not deadly or in any way dangerous, just a nuisance. The blotches in his shoulders will go away in a day but the ones in his lower back will take at least 3 days before disappearing completely. Unless he slips up and drinks again without taking his antihistamine first.

Nico gently removes Will’s arm around him again. Will grunts and grumbles in his sleep but eventually he rolls away. Nico goes back to the bathroom to piss and take care of his allergies. He grabs a towelette from one of the drawers and runs it over the hot water. He presses it gently down his lower back, hissing every now and then from oversensitivity and relief. 

“What are you doing?” Will asks behind him. He nearly throws the towelette in his face.

“Jesus, Will! Don’t scare me like that!” He half-yells. He runs the towelette under the hot water again and holds it over his swollen skin.

“Woah, what is that?” Will asks groggily as he kneels behind him, his fingers cold fingers gently touching his hot skin. He shivers.

“It’s… my allergies.” He’s so fucking glad he has his back on him or else he’d see that his face is as red as his torso and probably thighs.

“Does this happen often?” His fingers are so cold mapping the red blotches of Nico’s skin. It feels so fucking good. He wants to arch his back and lean against his strong hands.

“No," he sighs. "I just forgot to take my allergy meds before drinking last night.”

Will stands up and lightly touches his red shoulders, the nape of his neck, the dip of his collarbones. His fingers like feathers to his skin.

Nico nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels Will’s lips on his skin, planting soft kisses on some of the angry looking ones. He instinctively tilts his head to the side, revealing more pink skin for Will to notice.

Will sweeps his hair to the side and trails chaste kisses on his neck. Nico closes his eyes, loving the feel of the other man’s lips on his raw skin.

Will takes Nico’s chin on his fingers and gently turns it to him, to see him, and puts his lips on his. They kiss languidly, with Will’s other hand on his hips, softly making circles with his thumb. Nico turns his body so they could kiss properly.

Their soft kisses turn to open-mouthed ones, but neither is looking for more, just content to feel the other one against their lips. 

They part soon after, both panting with faint blushes on their faces, Nico even more so because of his allergies. He chuckles.

Nico rested his forehead against Will’s tanned chest. “Hey,” he says.

“Hey yourself,” Will replies, kissing the top of his head and tugging him close.

It is one of the best mornings Nico has ever had in a long time.

  
  


They’re lounging on the bed in their boxers, eating breakfast (his antihistamine on the nightstand) when Nico couldn’t take it anymore and asks Will. “Did something happen last night?”

Will scrunches his eyebrows, thinking. “What do you mean? Like, did something exciting and fun happen at the party? Is that what you mean?”

“No, like,” he ruffles the back of his head, thinking of ways to subtly ask the ‘sensitive’ topic, “did we have sex last night?” So much for being subtle.

Will pauses mid-bite, then looks at his toast like it’s the most interesting thing in the world right now. “We, uh, we almost did. But you, hm, you passed out so we didn’t.” He snaps his head back at him, eyes suddenly scared and pleading. “I didn’t touch you after that, I swear! I only made you wear your underwear and then I went to bed! I would never touch you without your consent! Belie--”

“I believe you,” Nico says, not looking at him. He trusts him. And if Will said he did not touch him, then he believes his words. Simple as that.

Will looks like a man who just witnessed a miracle. “You do?”

“Of course,” Nico shifts in his position to grab a raspberry from his bowl and pops it in his mouth.

“Just like that?”

“Uh-huh. Why, is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No, nothing. To be honest, I was expecting you to get mad,”

“Why?”

“I dunno. Because you don’t seem interested in me then suddenly you're at my party and I’m grinding against you and bringing you in this room.”

Nico is so taken aback by what Will admits that he laughs  _ hard _ . Will pouts at him.

“It’s not funny,” he says. He hides his face between his knees. “Stop laughing!”

“I can’t!” Nico wheezes. “That is so fucking stupid!”

“It’s not stupid,”

“It is, it is!” Nico’s laugh slowly dies down. He clears his throat and lets out one more chuckle before speaking. “You think I’m not interested in you? What gave you that impression?”

“Uh, one, you’ve never responded to any of my flirtings.” he sticks out his thumb, counting, “Two, you never send me anything.” his pointer, “Three, we’ve been friends for 7 months now and I still don’t know much about you.”

“I don’t know much about  _ you _ but do you see me complaining?” He interrupts.

“Point taken but--”

“And who said I’m not responding to your flirting? I could think of two separate incidents on top of my head where I ‘asked’ you out,” he makes air quotes with his fingers.

“What incidents? I sure as hell would remember if you asked me out!”

“That time I asked you out for a drink? You brought Cecil and Lou Ellen. When I told you I was in Park Twich last time and on my way to your apartment? You freaked out on me.”

Will grimaced. “Oh those.”

“Yeah.  _ Those. _ ”

“Well, what about your ex? I saw you two flirting last week and the week before that.”

“Oh my god, are you serious?” Nico’s eyes widen as he asks Will. When he doesn’t respond, Nico huffs a breath and continues. “His girlfriend was there! Did you even wait long enough to see her?”

“I didn’t see any girlfriend when you practically gave his ice cream a blowjob last week.”

“Jesus, you’re stupid.  _ Dio mio _ , help me,” he mutters under his breath. “She was still picking her ice cream flavor, numbnuts! If you just looked a little farther, you would’ve seen her. You really can’t miss her: long hair, beautiful skin, legs for days. I’m fucking gay but I wouldn’t say no to that view beside me every time I wake up.”

Nico clicks his tongue when Will doesn’t believe him. He yanks the charger off the outlet and grabs his phone. He mutters a quick curse when he sees the number of missed calls and messages he received throughout the night. He swipes it off his screen and goes to his gallery. He picks the most recent photo he has of Jason and Piper, the one from last night, sucking each others’ faces off. “Here, see?”

Will reluctantly takes the phone and stares at the screen. “Who are they?”

“That’s Jason and Piper.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” He rolls his eyes and jerks the phone off of Will's hands. Then his phone rings. “ _ Merde. _ ”

Nico hesitated on answering but he does anyway. “Hello?”

_ “NICHOLAS DI ANGELO, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!” _

“Hi, sis? How… are you?” he asks, keeping a cheery voice.

_ “WHERE WERE YOU?! I WAS WORRIED SICK THE WHOLE NIGHT!” _

“Sorry about that, I got… distracted?”

_ “DISTRACTED? IS THAT THE BEST EXCUSE YOU CAN COME UP WITH?!” _

“No?”

_ “YOU LEFT YOUR WRAP PARTY WASTED, YOU REFUSED TO GIVE YOUR LOCATION, AND YOU DIDN’T ANSWER YOUR PHONE THE WHOLE NIGHT!” _

“Sorry, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise! If it’s any consolation, I didn’t do anything stupid last night. I swear, Haze. It won’t happen again.”

_ “IT BETTER BE.”  _ Nico hears a quick sob from the other line.  _ “I was so close to calling Dad, Nico. You scared the shit out of me! I was so scared that you might be lying in your pool of blood somewhere!” _

“Hey, hey. You know I won’t go down easy, right?”

_ “I know that but what if they have something else with them?! What then?” _

“I’m sorry, Haze. I’ll never do it again.” He looks back at Will on the bed, still eating but looking at him with concern. “Look, I’m just gonna shower, check on Mrs. O’Leary, and go straight to you, okay? I’m in one piece.”

“You better! Are you okay? Are you hungover?”

“I puked and everything is still bright but aside from that, I’m okay. And I forgot to take antihistamines last night so now my back is disgusting.”

Hazel lets out a wet chuckle on the other line which makes him chuckle as well.  _ “That’s what you get for making us worry all night long. I’ll see you later, okay? Don’t forget your antihistamines. Everyone will be waiting for you.” _

“Okay. Love you, Haze.”

_ “Love you too.” _

Nico lets out a sigh and grabs his folded clothes on the chair. Did Will fold his clothes last night? Oh well. He goes straight to the bathroom and locks the door. Then he removes his underwear because as disgusting it might be, he has to wear it again for later. Should he go commando? Nah, he doesn’t want his dick to get caught between his fly. His pants aren’t skinny jeans but still.

A knock on the door. “Neeks?”

“Yes?” he answers.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes. I’m okay.”

Will is quiet for a while then says, “Okay.” His shadow moves away from under the door.

Nico gets inside the shower and is drying the water off his body in no time. He puts on his clothes as quickly as he could. He grabs a toothbrush from the drawers to rinse the acrid taste of vomit still at the back of his throat and the sweetness of berries. 

When he opens the bathroom door, Will is sitting on the bed waiting for him, still in his boxers. He looks surprised seeing Nico in his clothes from last night but quickly turns his head away.

“Hey uh…” Nico licks his lips and scratches behind his ear. “I have to go. My sister’s looking for me.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Will rises from the bed, towering over Nico again and hugs him. Nico does not know what to do with his hands so he wraps them around him awkwardly and taps his back twice. Will moves away after. “Take care.”

“Yeah, you too.” He turns to the door and shit, should he end it like this? This morning has been so pleasant (except for the allergies) and if it weren’t for his sister and dog he wouldn’t leave. Should he do something? Make out with him maybe? Kiss the back of his hand? Give him a forehead kiss? What the fuck should he do?

Nico clicks his tongue and turns his heels around, stands on his tiptoes, holds on to Will’s naked shoulders, and kisses the corner of his mouth. He quickly lets go and takes giant steps to the door and yanks it open. He rushes to the nearest elevator and presses the button frantically until it goes down.

Nico looks at his reflection staring back at him. His shower does jackshit to his appearance, but at least he feels less disgusting. He also looks flushed, like just-finished-running-5-miles kind of flushed.

“Fuck! I forgot to greet him a happy birthday!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh I forgot to say, I gave Nico my allergies lol it's a pain in the ass.
> 
> Feedback is appreciated!
> 
> And I'm on [Tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/)!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will "talk".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was extremely late I'm sorry lol I keep having brain worms but I guess I'm fine now.

Nico takes an uber back to The Copper Fox at 7:50 AM, and since the establishment itself is still closed, he talks the driver into dropping him at the back where the parking lot is. The man instantly agrees. He can be charming if he wants to.

There are only several cars in the parking lot, one of which is Elliot, his old Supra. He talks to the security and pays the fine for overnight parking. He thanks the man after giving him the receipt and walks to his car. It’s still too early for his liking and though he doesn’t feel like puking anymore, he still feels muggy and everything is too bright. Good thing he bought some cheap sunglasses at a concert once and stuffed it inside his glove compartment. He wears it and turns his AC on full blast, then he is on his way home.

Mrs. O’Leary greets him with enthusiasm that only a dog can show. She stands on his hind legs and licks his face until Nico gently pushes her off of him. Mrs. O’Leary’s bowl still has a few pieces of dog food left so he leaves it at that. He strips his clothes when he gets to his bedroom and changes into his running gear. He doesn’t plan on doing any running today because of his head, but his dog needs her exercise so he’s gonna have to tough it out. He puts everything they need for a walk in a fanny pack and they’re out the door.

They spend an hour walking around the neighborhood. They even go a little further than their usual route just because. Nico buys iced coffee on the way back and he empties it by the time they’re at the door. He gives his dog more food and water and turns on the TV so he can shower again in peace. He changes into a clean dark blue shirt and black pants. He is about to throw his sweaty clothes in the hamper when Nico sees his clothes from last night. He smiles.

He locks the door after giving Mrs. O’Leary her hugs and heads to the Levesque-Zhang residence to show his sister he’s still in one piece.

  
  


“--I went to his party because his friend invited me.” Nico sips his second iced coffee for the day.

“Your reason for bailing your wrap party is stupid, and I know you’re excluding something important but I’m letting it slide for now. I’m just glad you’re okay. Your allergies and leftover hangover are punishment enough.”

“Thanks.”

“So how was the party?”

“It was in The Circle. They rented the whole place.”

Frank whistles appreciatively beside him. “Damn. His family must be crazy rich,”

“His parents must be as loaded as dad!”

“Yeah, that’s what I told myself! It’s been years since the last time I was there. The whole place gave me a weird case of nostalgia so I had to drink to blur the embarrassing things I did in that place. And no, I’ve seen dad’s bank accounts. I don’t know if there’s anybody in this  _ city _ who has the same number of zeroes as his.”

“Really?” Hazel’s eyes widened.

“Really really.”

“Did you see Will?” Frank asks, breaking his and his sister’s wonder about their dad’s wealth.

“Yeah, I did.”

“And?”

“We danced.”

“That’s it?” Hazel exclaims, disappointed.

“And kissed.” 

Haze gasps. “Finally!” she squeals.

“Did you spend the night together?” “Are you two together now?”

“Woah, easy, kids. I don’t know yet, okay? You,” he points at Hazel who’s clutching Frank’s shirt pretty hard, “called before we could even talk.”

“Aw man! Did you even talk long enough to plan for a date or something?”

“Nope.”

“Did he at least text you saying he enjoyed kissing you last night?”

“Wait, let me check.” He picks his phone out from his back pocket and unlocks it. There’s a message from Will.

**WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** is it ok if we go out this saturday? my treat  **9:02**

Nico bites his lip and shows the message to his sister and her boyfriend.

“I guess we're finally gonna talk.”

**WILHELM!!! 🥵**   
should i pick u up?  **22:18**

**Me** **  
** No, it’s fine. I’ll meet you at the place  **22:18**   
Where are we going?  **22:19**

**WILHELM!!! 🥵**   
sushi place in chigulk at 8?  **22:19**   
wat do u think?  **22:19**

**Me**   
Sounds good  **22:19**   
See you there  **22:19**

**WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** how’s ur allergies?  **22:20**

**Me**   
Better. The itch is gone, just red marks all over  **22:21**

**WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** do u have any other medication other than your   
antihistamine?  **22:21**

**Me** **  
** I have an ointment for it  **22:23**

**WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** thats great  **22:23**   
dont forget to hydrate yourself  **22:24**

**Me**   
Alright dad  **22:24**   
I’m fine now. I’ve replenished all the liquids that   
I lost this morning  **22:25**

**WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** im just checking bc i dont want u dehydrating  **22:25**   
i still wanna see u this saturday  **22:25**

**Me**   
Don’t worry, you’ll see me  **22:27**

**WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** okay. imma let u sleep now, i kno u still feel tired  **22:27**   
good night  **22:27**

**Me**   
Goodnight  **22:27**

  
  


Nico pulls up by the sushi restaurant at 7:55 PM. A single glance inside the place and he sees Will sitting by the window. He’s wearing a plain white shirt and jeans with white sneakers. A very clean look, he thinks. Total contrast with his all-black ensemble. He turns off the ignition and soon he’s entering the restaurant.

He’s never visited this part of the town that much. There are cool places sure, but it’s still too close to Park Twich so that means college students everywhere. But this place, Silver Bells, doesn’t look too bad.

Will stands up the moment he sees Nico come through the door. Nico can’t help but smirk at his enthusiasm (nervousness?) and he laughs when Will can’t decide whether to pull Nico’s chair out or not. He settles on pulling it out a little and letting Nico do the rest.

“Sorry,” he says, “just nervous.”

Nico pulls out his chair. “Don’t be.” Then they sit down.

They order their food in hushed voices and Nico catches Will looking at him. “What?” He asks.

“Nothing,” he answers then gives Nico a happy smile. Okay, this is something else.

They eat in silence, which is kind of weird since the whole restaurant is loud and cheerful. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel energized the moment you step inside with its red and yellow interior and walls designed like  _ shoji _ . It even has those fabrics in front that’s usually reserved for ramen stands and izakayas,  _ noren _ they call it. It kind of looks like the traditional restaurants you see in anime only if it’s owned by white people with no single minority in the staff.

Nico decides to break the silence. “What are you up to these days?” He asks, making Will choke in his sushi. He quickly recovers by drinking his iced tea.

“Um, nothing much. Just studying a little bit for the summer classes.” Will clears his throat.

“Ah yeah, the summer classes. Juniors have those, right?”

Will nods. “Also the groups for the rotations.”

“And? How was it? Are you and your friends in the same group?”

“Only Lou Ellen. And Katie. Cecil is with Sherman and Malcolm.”

He has no idea who the other people he mentioned were.

“I can see you’re confused,” he chuckles. “Katie was the blonde on our table. Sherman was the black-haired one and Malcolm was the other blond.”

“I was shit-faced last Friday so forgive me if I only remember 2 of your friends. And yes, I did notice your brunette friend.”

The conversation dies and they eat once more in silence until they both finish. They pay (Nico demanded to pay his share since Will is still a student no matter how loaded his parents are) and walk around the block for a while to burn off the extra calories from all the sushi they ate.

“You wanna call it a night?” Nico asks half an hour later.

“No, not yet. But if you wanna go it’s fine with me.”

“I don’t want to go home yet.”

“Okay. You wanna talk somewhere quieter?”

“Yeah, sure. Did you drive here?”

“I took the bus.”

“Alright. Let me buy some juice first.”

They head inside a bodega to buy some drinks. Non-alcoholic, of course. Nico has had enough alcohol for a while. They buy water, a few bottles of yogurt drink, and two cans of carbonated apple juice. They head back to Nico’s car and drive to the nearest open space, comfortable silence still surrounding them. 

They stop in a field an hour outside the city. The ground is dry from the heat of the summer and the grass is tall so they decide to stay and sit on the hood of Nico’s car rather than risk stepping on snakes and other critters.

The sound of the wind blowing through the grass and the soft fizz of their drink as they open it are the only sounds that can be heard. Nico takes a sip. The view isn’t exactly beautiful, it’s just grass and rocks and a dried-up river for miles, and the moon is crescent above them, only giving them a little light. Still, it is peaceful. Nico was never a smoker in his life but he finds himself itching for a rush of nicotine in his system.

“What are we?” Will asks. His turn to break the silence this time.

Nico turns to him. He hums but doesn’t reply.

Will crushes his empty can and puts it inside the plastic bag, then gets a melon-flavored yogurt drink. He punches his nail through the foil covering and takes a gulp.

“I don’t know,” Nico says. “What we’ve always been, I guess.” Will nods slightly. He finishes his juice and crushes the can as well. He grabs the banana-flavored one and removes the foil. It isn’t cold anymore.

“Can I kiss you?” Will asks. 

Nico turns to Will, his features blurred by darkness yet he could still see the sincerity in his blue eyes shine in the night. He puts down his drink and leans in, searching for his soft lips. Will meets him halfway. 

Will tastes like sweet milk. He wonders what he tastes like for him.

They kiss just like that morning, all soft pecks and innocent kisses. Then one of them opens their mouth slightly, someone slips a little tongue, and Nico is on Will, straddling his thighs, hands in his hair, tugging and angling his head.

Their lips part but Will continues to kiss him. He feels hot breath and slick lips on his jaw, his neck, his clavicle, all the exposed skin Will could reach. The sound of panting fills his ears, the same way the wind and fizz did. Large warm hands slide beneath his shirt, gripping his hips tight. He moans softly as Will sucks a bruise in the crook of his neck. Blood starts to fill up his dick. 

“Will,” he shudders. “Will.”

Will trails kisses up his neck and sucks his lobe. “Nico,” he whispers and grinds up against him.

“Will…” Nico sighs again. “Will, wait.”

Will stops at once, panting against his neck, pressing soft kisses on it. Nico squirms in his lap. He takes Will’s face in his hands and presses their foreheads together and closes his eyes. He kisses Will once more and removes himself from his lap.

Nico rubs his face in his hands and breathes hard, willing his hard-on to  _ go away, now is not the time! _

He continues to sit after he’s composed himself, his feet dangling on the edge of the hood of his car. Will reaches out to hold his hand. He lets him.

Nico drinks his now-lukewarm yogurt drink and puts it back inside the plastic bag along with the other garbage. Will does the same and soon they’re climbing off the hood and into the car. They drive home holding hands.

Nico drops him in front of his apartment building saying nothing. He looks at him, a slight smile on his face. He smiles back. Will rubs the back of his hand with his thumb and climbs out without a word. Nico rolls down the windows and drives home to his dog.

**WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** i enjoyed 2night  **10:49**   
good night  **10:52**

Nico falls asleep feeling lighter than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know _shit_ about cars. I'm sorry.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Tell me what you think!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people, of course, started hunting for videos of the three women from their previous acting jobs, because that’s what fans do. He, on the other hand, does not have much of that. All of his previous jobs were either commercials or VA gigs, and they were all direct-to-video movies. The only times he was on-screen for more than a minute were the cameos he did for her late sister’s movies when he was what, 10-12 years old? His IMDb page doesn’t even have a picture because he doesn’t attend premieres. He’s basically a nobody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter's coherent lmao I'm having brain worms again. Sorry.

“I’m gonna ask Hazel to marry me,” Frank blurts out as soon as their waitress is out of earshot. Nico stops midway of raising his cup to his lips and puts it back on the table.

“Okay? Why are you telling me this?”

“I’m asking for permission.” He clasps his hands in front of him, his lips a straight line. “I want to do this right,”

Nico raises an eyebrow. “You know she’s not a property, right? You don’t have to ask permission from me. If you’re asking for my _blessing_ , you already have it.” He lifts his cup of coffee again and sips. He winces. “Should’ve gotten the cold brew.”

“Oh thank god!” Frank takes a deep breath and laughs, “I thought you’d get mad!”

“Buddy, if I don’t like you, I would’ve gotten mad years ago.”

“Still, thank you, Neeks,”

“Have you got a ring?”

Frank reaches back and pulls out a velvet box. He opens it and a three-stone, marquise cut diamond engagement ring sits inside. Nico whistles. “That’s cute. So like her.”

“I know. We talked about rings once, said she doesn’t want something flashy. She basically suggested I just get her something from Etsy.”

“Dad probably gave her jewelry weekly when we were growing up. Trust me, she doesn’t want any more rocks the size of her fist.”

“Good thing I didn’t get the emerald one then. Thanks, Neeks.”

“No problem. Again, she’s not a property. She can do whatever she wants, she can marry whomever she wants. But if you want to be _traditional_ or what-the fuck-ever, it’s dad you should be talking to.”

“Yeah, thought you’d say that. I’m still gathering the courage to text your dad. Gonna ask him for dinner or something.”

“Shit, really? Oh man, I gotta be there! I wanna see the old man’s face when you tell him you’re gonna take Hazel away from her!” Nico breaks into broken laughs as he takes a bite out of his snickerdoodle.

Frank throws him a crumpled tissue. “Don’t be like that! I’m scared shitless already!”

“Okay, okay! Hypothetically, Henry said ‘yes’ without maiming you, what’s gonna happen next?”

“I’m gonna propose to this house I bought a year ago,”

His eyes bug out and nearly chokes on his cookie crumbs. “Holy shit, Zhang! You really thought about this, huh? You even bought a fucking house! What if she doesn’t say yes?” Nico rolls his eyes to the thought. “What am I even saying? Of course she’s gonna say yes. But for the sake of argument, what if she said no?”

“Gee, thanks for the boost of confidence,” “You’re welcome.” “I’m gonna give her some space of course, and talk to her about it. If she’d say she won’t marry me and breaks up with me, I’ll give her the house. I bought it for her after all. If she’d say she’s not ready, then I’ll wait.”

Nico clicks his tongue. “You’re a good man, Zhang. You’re too good to get mixed up in this family.”

“Nah, your family’s normal. You’re just being too hard on yourself.”

“Eh,” Nico shrugs and continues drinking his hot coffee.

Nico grunts as he gets out of bed, trying hard to keep his phone pointed at his face at a reasonable distance. He feels the floor with his foot to find his cotton slippers. “What even is your last name? We’ve known each other for what, 9 months now? If someone got pregnant the moment we met, she would’ve given birth by now.”

“That’s a kind of specific,”

“I heard an old friend use that analogy once when talking about how long they’ve been with their ex. It made sense. I’ve been using it since. So, what is it?”

“Huh? Uh, Parrilla,”

“Really? You don’t look Latino to me,”

“That’s ‘cus I’m not. Got Spanish blood on my mom’s side,”

“So you’re using your mom’s name?” He shuts his bedroom door behind him and heads to the kitchen.

“Hm, something like that,”

“What happened to your dad?”

“Uh, he’s… there,”

“You wanna elaborate on that?”

Will shakes his head. “No,”

“Okay.” Nico covers his mouth to avoid laughing out loud.

Will raises an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” He snickers and Will scowls at him. “I just realized your name is Wilhelm Parrilla. You have a German first name and a Spanish last name. You’re a developing country’s nightmare.”

Will guffaws in the camera. He wants to touch his face, maybe push back his curls. He cannot do that so instead, he asks, “What did you do today?”

Will purses his lips. “We had a short quiz. Or a short exam? I don’t really know anymore at this point. But we had a test. A refresher to what we learned last school year.”

“How’d it go?”

“It was good. I did well.”

“That’s good to hear,” Nico opens a cupboard and takes a small bowl. He has some bourbon butter pecan ice cream in the freezer.

“What about you?”

He hums. “Pretty chill at the moment. But work starts again next week so I gotta prepare myself.”

“More writing gig?”

“Not quite, just general work. Something I have to do for the marketing,”

“They let writers do marketing now?”

Nico shrugs. He puts his phone down and leans it against his toaster. “I’m just doing whatever they tell me to do. As long as it’s in my job description and approved by the union, I don’t see why not.” He puts three scoops of spiked ice cream in his bowl and shoves the container back inside the freezer. He has to ration it since Hazel won’t be making more of them any time soon. She won’t even share the recipe. Brat.

“What’s that?” Will asks.

He tilts his bowl slightly in front of the camera, showing it to Will. “Bourbon butter pecan ice cream. My sister made it.”

“Wow, that sounds good!”

“It is, you want some?”

“If I say yes… will you let me come over?”

“Sure, why not.” Nico disguises a smirk by eating some. He lets it melt in his mouth and licks his spoon for dramatics.

Will jumps out of his bed. “Okay, gotta get my hoodie first.” He props his phone on his desk to wear his favored orange hoodie.

“Don’t hurt yourself.”

“I’ll be right there in twenty.”

“Okay. The bowl’s waiting.”

Will grabs his keys and dangles it in front of the camera before dropping the call. Nico smirks and takes another spoonful of his cold treat. Is it really a good idea to let Will come over? Well, even if it isn’t he’s probably out of his apartment already and is on his way here now. No time to chicken out, di Angelo, you practically invited him over. You could’ve just said you were having an early night or something.

A drop of cream falls on his shirt, making him look down at himself. He’s wearing an old band shirt and his thin sleep shorts with moth-bitten holes in random places. He looks decent enough but should he change? Nah, it doesn’t matter if he changes or not, Will has already seen him naked. Wearing slightly longer shorts won’t magically erase his junk in Will’s mind. He wipes the cream with a paper towel.

Twenty minutes later, somebody knocks on his door. He’s still leaning against his kitchen counter, ice cream long gone in his bowl. A clean one sits beside it.

“It’s open,” he shouts.

The door opens slightly and Will’s head pokes in. “Hi,” he says, beaming.

Nico lifts a bowl, Will comes in and toes his shoes off.

He crouches down to pet Mrs. O’Leary’s who greets him at the door. “Hey, pretty girl! How are you?” Will kisses the top of her head. Nico's insides warm at the sight.

Will gives Mrs. O’Leary a few more kisses before he’s standing up and walking towards him in the kitchen. Nico hands him the bowl, whom he receives with a large smile, and opens the freezer for the ice cream. He scoops a generous amount and puts it in his bowl. He grabs his homemade caramel sauce and gives it a little drizzle.

Will puts a finger under the drizzle and puts it in his mouth. He hums appreciatively. “Ooh, this is good! Where did you buy this?”

“I made it,” he says, as a matter of factly.

“You didn’t tell me you’re a cook!”

“I’m not, I just know how to do this. And maybe a couple more foods, but that’s it. My cooking skills cannot feed a party.”

“But enough for at least two people, right?” He asks playfully. Nico knows what he's implying of course.

He rolls his eyes. “Of course.” He puts more ice cream in his bowl, changing his mind about rationing his gift from his beloved sister because he has a guest, dammit! Isn’t it just polite to serve your guest the most decadent dish in your household?

When his ice cream is all gone--again, he sneakily scoops a little of Will’s share and eats it immediately.

“Hey, that’s mine!”

“You’re in _my_ house eating _my_ food. It’s been mine all along, buddy,” Nico says smugly.

Will rolls his eyes and scoops a spoonful and raises it to Nico. He smirks at him, opens his mouth, and licks the underside of the spoon. He wraps a hand around Will’s wrist and slowly guides him to push the spoon further in his mouth. He closes his eyes and laps at it.

The atmosphere in the kitchen dramatically changes. The air around them is thicker and heavier. He opens his eyes slightly, looking at Will under his lashes. His pupils are blown, his mouth slightly agape, a faint blush on his face. He doesn't know what he looks like but he reckons it's the same as Will’s. He gently takes the spoon from Will’s hand and puts it down on the counter. Will leans down for a kiss. He kisses him back.

They make out, licking and chasing the taste of booze, cream, and pecans in each other’s mouths. Will holds his hips, fingers tickling his skin, and inserts a thigh between Nico's legs. Nico groans. Then, as if on cue, they part. Nico giggles and plants two more firm kisses on Will’s lips. They put the ice cream, sides now dripping with condensation, back in the fridge and put their bowls in the sink. Nico washes them while Will dries and puts them back in the cupboard.

They move to the living room to watch a couple of episodes of Adventure Time until Will tells him it’s late and he has to go back. Nico walks him to the door and they exchange a few more kisses before he’s finally pushing Will away from him because _it’s 11 o’clock Will you have an early class tomorrow!_ Will steals one more kiss and is out of his door.

Nico bites his lip as he watches him go.

  
  


“I wanna show you the house,” Frank says again two weeks after he asked him if he could marry Hazel.

“Oh? Why?”

“I dunno, I just wanna show you. So you could tell me if I have to add something, I guess? There will be people meeting us there, I promise.”

“Dude, she’ll marry you even if you live in a dilapidated house under a bridge. And it’s not an issue whether or not there will be people in the house when we get there, I have an interview tomorrow that I have to prepare for.”

“Then we’ll go after. Please, Nico! I want this to be perfect for her,” Frank looks at him with pleading eyes that would rival a puppy’s. 

Nico rolls his eyes and sighs exasperatedly. “Fine! Where is this house, by the way?”

“Sasford,” Frank says.

He cocks an eyebrow. “Sasford? Like the suburbia?”

“Yeah. Should I be worried? Was buying a house in Sasford a bad idea?”

“No, no.” He shakes his head repeatedly. “It’s fine. She’s a sucker for a simple life anyway so it’s perfect for her. Too bad she was born in this mess of a family."

“Hey,” Frank warns.”I thought I told you to stop doing that. There’s nothing wrong with you or your family. You’re perfectly normal.” Keep telling yourself that, Frank.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“So, are you gonna come?”

“Sure, I don’t have anything to do after anyway. The interview’s probably gonna go bad so I might as well distract myself than stay at home and drink wine with my dog.”

“Yes!” He pumps his fist and smiles so wide his eyes disappear. It’s cute. “I’ll pick you up after.”

“Okay. ”

  
  


The interview was… something else. Nico wasn’t exactly new to being interviewed but the last time he was interviewed as a cast member was well over a decade ago. He’s been interviewed a lot as a writer, though, mostly on podcasts, in magazines, and a few con panels. The first trailer was shown a week prior so naturally, the marketing department tagged him and his co-stars to the show’s official SNS accounts. His twitter account went from 36 followers to 5000 overnight and still counting. He had to uninstall twitter on his phone and log his account in on his old phone just so Dorothy (his new phone) won’t drain her battery from all the notifications he’d been getting. It was so annoying he almost deactivated his account but Victoria advised him not to (and he’s pretty sure she’ll skin him alive if he does).

He was on the trailer _technically_ but it was just a ‘clip’ of him in the shadows, looking in on a pair of binoculars. He was even wearing a baseball cap, for fuck’s sake. And calling it a _clip_ is honestly stretching it. The show’s fans had to pause the trailer at the right moment to catch his character. Dakota was the first one to be shown, on the opening scene, running. Next was Janice, then Kayla. The rest were bits and pieces of Lester and Kiki doing their usual stuff: locking picks, cuffing someone, entering crime scenes.

The people, of course, started hunting for videos of the three women from their previous acting jobs, because that’s what fans do. He, on the other hand, does not have much of that. All of his previous jobs were either commercials or VA gigs, and they were all direct-to-video movies. The only times he was on-screen for more than a minute were the cameos he did for her late sister’s movies when he was what, 12-14 years old? His IMDb page doesn’t have a picture because he doesn’t attend premieres. He’s basically a nobody.

That didn’t deter some fans. After the silhouettes in the official poster had been revealed, they scoured the internet for grainy videos of a 7-year-old _Nico D’Antonio_ dancing to a catchy tune for bullion cubes, clipped scenes of his character talking from old animated movies, and a few even found stills of him in Bianca’s old movies. It died down after a few a week since there’s literally nothing else to find, but he’s positive a spotlight would be on him again the moment that Buzzfeed video they shot last week gets uploaded.

The interviewer only asked him a couple of questions, mostly about his time working with the stars and nothing about his work as the head writer for the show. It was either he wasn’t informed or he just didn’t care. There was no question about his sister so he answered them as properly as he could.

Nico waits for Frank in an ice cream parlor a few blocks away from the studio where they held the interview, eating chocolate peanut butter fudge. He’s about halfway through devouring his ice cream when Frank enters the place. He nods a greeting at Nico.

“Hey,”

“Hey, want some?” He pushes his ice cream to Frank.

“Is it any good?”

“Yeah,”

“Okay. Thanks,” Frank says as he scoops some. He hums in agreement. They finish the rest of the ice cream together.

“What now?” Nico asks as they exit the store.

“Wait here, I parked over there,” he says, pointing at the building behind them.

Riding in silence with Frank is fine. He plays a podcast and it takes almost all of Nico’s willpower not to turn it off. It got interesting 15 minutes in, though. The caller said she ran into his former teacher at Starbucks, she then started to tell the story of how she formed a friendship and, later on, an emotional relationship with him when she was still a teenager. It’s kind of disturbing, especially the part where she said that the teacher kissed her when she was 15 and they continued their relationship for a year and a half while he’s fucking married. He wasn’t her teacher anymore but that was still disturbing and definitely predatory. Nico wants to whack Frank’s stereo.

“You’re listening to this, Frank? This is some freaky shit!”

“It’s disturbing, yeah, but not all episodes are like this,”

“It’s still freaky. Holy shit. Imagine, say, me, making out with fucking 15-year-old. I can’t even stomach being with Will and he’s only 4 years younger than me! Jesus. Fucking creeps, man. What the fuck,” Nico says rapidly, then he stops. Is that what he really thinks about Will? 

He doesn’t talk much after that, just stews in his thoughts, but he continues to distractedly listen to the podcast because this is Frank’s car and he can do whatever the fuck he wants. If he wants to finish listening to this lady tell her story and listen to the host as he gets progressively angry about the fucking creep of a teacher, then he can do so.

They pull up in front of a two-story house an hour and a half later. It’s a charming medium-sized, neutral-colored house with a huge backyard surrounded by trees. The door, which is painted pastel yellow, is like the centerpiece of the front yard… or something. Nico doesn’t know shit about designing houses, that is why his house is black and white. It looks sick as fuck and he won’t have a hard time choosing colors if he decides to add a piece of furniture or a rag in it.

The neighbors are also quiet, not many kids running around the street, which is unusual since it’s summer. Kids should be rolling around the grass, touching things with their sticky hands, exploring the sewage system or whatever the fuck kids do during summers.

“Come on,” Frank says. “Let’s go inside.”

They go inside the yellow door and he is greeted by a gray and white interior. It doesn’t look bleak or sad, it looks classy. It looks clean and homey. Perfect for a young couple who wants to start a life together.

If Nico is being honest, the house is too fifty shades of gray for his taste. Not the book, fuck that book, but the _colors_. He could probably count at least 16 different shades of gray in this house. They look damn good with white, though. Whoever their architect or designer is, they did a great job.

Nico goes to the kitchen and hitches a breath at the sight of it. It is _gorgeous_. “Frank, I promise you, she’ll go bananas once she sees this.”

“You think so?” Frank says with a smile in his voice. "I specifically told the architect to make the kitchen as close to perfect as possible."

“Are you kidding? This isn’t close to perfect, this is perfect! I don’t cook much but I hella appreciate those marble countertops and the farmhouse sink.” He drags his hands through the smooth countertops. “The white, gray, and silver are top-notch, Frank. Expect me to be here at least five times per week when you move in.”

“No problem, Neeks. We would love to have you here. If Hazel agrees to marry me, of course.”

“If she won’t then I will.” Frank laughs a hearty one. He grins. They go upstairs and look at the master and guest bedrooms, the baths, the laundry room, and the two spare rooms that Frank is thinking of making an office and another guest bedroom.

“I want plenty of extra rooms, you know, just in case she wants to have a baby. We haven’t talked about it that much given that we’re both pretty busy with our careers.” Frank says. One of the spare rooms is open. It’s quite spacious and if Nico thinks hard enough, he could already see the crib, the mobile hanging above, the toys, and other knick-knacks that would make this room a perfect nursery. 

“It’s quite unfair for a baby to be left alone with a nanny so we could go to work, don’t you think? If we’re gonna have a baby, I want us to be there for them, all the time while they’re growing up if possible. I don’t want to be one of those people who would leave their kids with strangers so they could still party and do whatever they want. I want the sleepless nights, the diaper changes, the tripping-on-toys-everywhere kind of life with her.”

Nico looks up at Frank then around the house, they’re at the top of the stairs now. He doesn’t say it at all but he’s quite grateful Hazel and Frank found each other. They seem like an odd couple at first, especially from an outsider’s perspective, but they are _perfect_ together. They bring out the best in each other. They complement one another. He’s positive that if they do bring a child in this world, they would inherit the kindness inside Hazel and the gentleness in Frank. And Nico would be the luckiest person in the world to be a part of that child’s life.

Frank scratches his eyebrow and chuckles. “That is up to her, of course. If she wants a baby then great! If not, then still great!”

Nico clears his throat to dispel the emotion threatening to come out. “Yup. Great answer, buddy.” Nico claps Frank’s shoulder.

“Thanks,” he taps his hand twice.

“Oh, by the way, who’s your interior designer? I wanna hire them if I ever wanna buy a house in the suburbs too. Fat chance, but who knows, right?”

Frank grabs his wallet from his back pocket and looks for a business card. He gives it to him when he finds it. “She’s an architect. She was recommended to me by a friend. They just opened an LA branch and she’s just here to smooth things out before going back to Manhattan. She’s supposed to be here, actually. Maybe we’re too early? She’s insanely on time,” He looks at his watch. “Yep, we’re like half an hour early-”

A sound of heels clicking on tiles interrupts him. “Is that you, Frank? Or is it a burglar that happens to drive a really pricey car?” A lady from the foyer calls out. Nico looks at Frank, then at the direction of the voice, then at the crisp white business card in his hand.

“We’re at the stairs!”

“Oh good. I thought it was a burglar with a very expensive taste.”

The lady wears a very stylish yet casual business attire: a navy blue blazer, with a matching pantsuit, over a white low cut blouse, and white heels. Her outfit is completed with an expensive-looking handbag that makes her look even more put together than ever.

“Hi, Fra--oh. Hello,”

Nico’s heart thundered in his chest. “Hi,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The podcast is from [Beautiful, Anonymous Episode 51](https://www.earwolf.com/episode/made-out-with-my-teacher/). When I first listened to it it was still free, that was 3 years ago though, but you can still read the transcript on their website if you're curious about the story.
> 
> This is what I imagined Frank and Hazel's house would [look like](https://rhiannonbosse.com/2011/12/our-first-home-part-2) and this is what the lady's [wearing](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/521643569332645053/) at the end.
> 
> Comments are **really** appreciated!
> 
> Come find me on [Tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/)!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Purple Grave's premiere!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **CW:** mentions of death of family members and alcohol consumption. It's not graphic in any way but they talked about it (death) so I'm just putting this out here.
> 
> If you noticed, I finally put the total number of chapters of this fic but that could still change. It's just my estimation but we're nearing the end folks! 😁

“Ah, Annabeth, this is Nico, my girlfriend’s brother,”

Annabeth’s eyes widen but she remains silent. It takes her a moment before speaking again. “Hazel,” she breathes.

Frank opens his mouth, a wide smile on his face, then closes it again when he registers what Annabeth just said. “You know Hazel?”

Nico is too stunned to talk. It has been almost a decade since he last saw Annabeth so forgive him if he’s still processing the fact that his future brother-in-law’s architect is his childhood friend.

Annabeth’s smile is a tight one. She looks at Nico, gray eyes asking if it’s okay to let Frank in on the history. Nico meets her eyes once and looks away. It’s the only permission she needs before talking. “Yeah, we grew up together. Me, Hazel, and Nico.”

“Wow, small world! She never mentioned anything about other childhood friends though,” he chuckles. Annabeth lets out a polite one too.

They go around the house again after that. Annabeth showing Frank her plans for the other spare rooms and what would go great with their chosen theme. Nico trails behind them, still too distracted with what is happening to give his input.

Annabeth leaves when she’s done, mentioning something about a dinner with another client. She gives Frank’s hand a shake and a hug to Nico then they’re alone again.

They drive back in silence, another episode of that dang podcast playing as Nico watches the row of trees pass by. He sees Frank shooting him worried looks from the driver’s seat but doesn’t say anything. 

Frank doesn’t say anything when they pull up in front of his building and Nico stays silent as he climbs off. He waits until Frank is a mere dot on the road before going in.

He hears Mrs. O’Leary’s nails scuff his vinyl floor as he unlocks the door. He hugs her tight for a long time the moment he enters his threshold. He goes to the kitchen, grabs his stainless steel ice cubes from the freezer, and opens his glass of wine. So much for not drinking tonight. 

It’s not that he’s still affected by what happened 9 years ago. Shit, that was a long time ago, best believe he’s over it, so it’s a fucking wonder why seeing his childhood friend after all these years made him feel like a snotty 16-year-old again. The mystery of life, he guesses.

***

Frank meets him again a few days after the house incident. It is only a matter of time before Frank asks him about it anyway. He’s joining the family so might as well let him know.

“You wanna go somewhere else?” Frank asks him when he arrives at the same coffee shop they had their conversation about the house days ago.

“No, it’s fine here.” He says. They get their drinks a few moments later. They sip their coffees silently.

“You… wanna tell me what’s going on?” Frank asks after an uncomfortable amount of silence.

“No,” Frank looks down at his coffee. “But I’m gonna do it anyway.” So Nico tells the rest of the story, the one Frank has never heard before. He already knows about Bianca so it only takes him about 30 minutes to tell everything.

“Wow, that’s… rough, I guess?”

“No, not really. I was just stupid.”

“You were a kid. Kids make mistakes. Kids mix up feelings. It’s fine.”

“Why do you keep saying it’s fine?”

“Because it is. We’re not defined by what happened to us when we were kids. Your sister’s death was not your fault. Your dad becoming emotionally distant after was not your fault either. You were a kid.”

“Hardly. I was 14 when she died. I was 17 when shit went down with Annabeth and Percy. I was 19 when that thing with Jason happened. If this was Ancient Rome, I was already criminally liable.”

“You know what I mean. Was it Hazel’s fault that her mom died because she was nearby? You two were there when Bianca died, was it her fault too?”

“Fuck no! Fuck you, nobody even thought of that!”

“Exactly. You see where I’m going here?”

“Fuck off, this conversation is too heavy for a fucking coffee.” Nico refuses to answer anything about the topic.

He doesn’t answer Will’s call that day.

  
  
  


****interview transcript, unedited****

**Jan (behind camera):** Please introduce yourself to the camera

 **Nico D’Antonio:** I’m Niccolò D’Antonio, I play Officer Gio Mitchell in the third  
season of Purple Grave. Today I’m gonna answer some of the  
questions from Pop Surf's “ask the new PG officer” twitter  
hashtag. Wait, so no one’s going to interview me?

 **Jan (behind camera):** No. 

**Nico D’Antonio:** Oh, okay. What am I gonna do? _(starts spinning chair around)_

 **Jan (behind camera):** You’ll pick some questions from the bowl somebody’s gonna  
roll in and answer it. Oh, there it is. _(crew member rolls in a_ _  
table with a fishbowl filled with paper on top)_

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Wow, okay. Should I just go ahead?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Please.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Alright. _(picks a paper)_ Aha! This one is from twitter user  
jaeger underscore boy with an i. It says, “is the new PG officer  
a new series regular?” Um, I don’t know yet, honestly. The  
character was made specifically for season three but if you like  
him then he’ll probably stick for another season. Another one?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Yeah.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Okie dokie. Twitter user jorothea says, “I saw a   
pale back with black hair in the second trailer. None of the new  
cast has those features except for the new guy,” _(snickers)_ “so  
did you bang someone in the series?” You’re gonna have to  
watch it to know _(winks at the camera)_

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Okay, another one. This is from firefly underscore hotaru, “tell  
us about yourself.” Uh, my name is Niccolò D’Antonio. I’m an  
Aquarius, I enjoy sunsets and long walks on the beach.  
And I did not kill anyone. But I know who did. Just kidding,  
that line is from Supernatural, but I am an Aquarius and I like  
those things too.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** How many of these do I have to answer?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Up to you.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** So if I say I only want to do ten, I can only do ten?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Sure.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Nice! But I’m not gonna do that, though. I can answer at least  
twenty of these. How many have I answered already?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Three.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Oh geez. Okay, better make this fast. Is it okay if I don’t  
mention the twitter handle anymore?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Sure, we’ll blur their names anyway.

**Nico D’Antonio:** Why didn’t you say so! _(laughs)_

 **Jan (behind camera):** _(laughs)_ Sorry, I forgot!

 **Nico D’Antonio:** _(grins)_ It’s fine. Okay, this says, “why don’t you have an IMDb  
page?” I think I do? I don’t know anymore. I don’t  
keep track of my other IMDb page.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Do you have any more SNS? Nope, I only have Twitter, it’s  
ghost underscore king. Am I verified yet? I don’t think so.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Do you have any pets? Yes _(points at the camera)_. Her name’s  
Mrs. O’Leary. She’s a black standard poodle. I frequently post  
pictures of her on my Twitter.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Are you Italian? Yes, I am.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Do you have any siblings? Yes, I do.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** What projects have you done already? I used to do VA works  
and commercials but that was like, over a decade ago. This is  
my first TV show.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Do you have any upcoming projects? Nope, just this one. So if  
you don’t like Gio then I’m gonna lose my job. _(laughs)_

 **Nico D’Antonio:** You’re cute, are you single? Yes, I am.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** How many was that already?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Eleven.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Okay, nine more to go. _(picks another paper)_ Coffee or tea?  
Iced coffee all the way.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** What’s your comfort food? Double Dutch ice cream and  
Big Mac.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** What do you look for in a lover? Great kisser. _(winks at the_ _  
camera and clicks tongue)_

 **Nico D’Antonio:** _(reads the paper)_ Ew no, this is gross. _(throws away paper)_  
Let’s see about this one. Where are you from? I was born in  
Venice but we moved here to the States when I was about 10.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** I went to Purple Grave’s IMDb and saw your name. Are you  
Italian? If so, do you speak Italian? Yes, I am Italian. Yes, I can  
speak Italian. 

**Nico D’Antonio:** What do you do to pass the time? (thinking) Hanging out with  
my friends, I guess. I don't know. If I'm not at work I'm just  
hanging out with my dog. I have a routine though, I go to  
brunch every Friday with my sibling and friends, and I run with  
my dog every evening.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** How many was that?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Seventeen.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** _(pumps fist)_ Yosha, three more! What’s your favorite show? I  
have a lot, but right now I’m watching Songs of the Attic.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** What’s your favorite color? Isn’t it obvious? _(gestures to self)_  
It’s black.

 **Jan (behind camera):** One more.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** _(mumbles unintelligibly)_ Any actors or actresses you want to  
work with? Oh shit! Oh fuck! Sorry, am I allowed to curse in  
here?

 **Jan (behind camera):** No, but we’ll bleep them out (laughs)

 **Nico D’Antonio:** _(laughs)_ Phew! Okay, again, last question. Do you have any  
actors you want to work with? Yeah! Tristan McLean! He’s  
such an amazing actor! And also Paul Russel but I literally  
work with him now so _(clicks tongue)_ that’s cool.

 **Jan (behind camera):** And you’re done!

 **Nico D’Antonio:** Really? Wait, this is fun. I wanna do one more. Can I?

 **Jan (behind camera):** Sure!

 **Nico D’Antonio:** _(picks paper)_ Right, the last one… I think I saw you in a porno before. _(cackles hard)_  
Okay I’m done! _(still snickering)_

 **Jan (behind camera):** _(snickering)_ Alright. You just have to say the closing line and promote the  
show.

 **Nico D’Antonio:** I can do that. Thanks for watching this interview and don’t  
forget to watch Purple Grave season 3, streaming this 7th of  
October. And I wasn't in any porno _(grins widely at the camera)_

 **Director:** Cut!

****

“Nico, I know you don’t do this but I want you to attend the premiere on Wednesday,” Reyna says the moment Nico puts his phone against his ear.

“Hi, I’m fine. It’s not like I’m not doing anything important right now,” he answers.

“Spare me the sass. I know you hate premieres but you have to be on this one,”

Nico rolls his eyes. “I know. I read the contract. I’ll be there.”

“Do you want Rola to call Sheena?”

“No, I'm fine. I’ll just let Hazel pick my clothes,”

“Alright, you do that.” Nico hears a muffled voice on the other line. She must’ve covered the receiver. “I gotta go. See you next week. Bye,”

“Bye.”

Nico heaves a sigh and moves his dinner in front of the TV.

****

“I got the day off tomorrow. Wanna go somewhere?” Will asks. They’re both on their sides in their respective beds, facetiming each other.

“Ah shit, I want to but I have a work thing,”

“Oh yeah? What about in the evening?”

“It’s a whole day event,”

“Damn, really?”

“Yeah. It’s a party. Gotta chum with the execs to get a higher budget next year. Or maybe a raise,”

“Wow, like a grant?”

“Kind of, yeah,”

“You sound like you hate it. Why go if you hate it?”

“I gotta. Part of the contract. I have more responsibility now.”

“Oof, sucks to be you, I guess.”

“You’re gonna have your version of this when you’re finally some hotshot doctor. You gotta sweet talk some rich old widows and spinsters so they’d give you money to buy the top of the line equipment. It’s easy, you can bat your eyelashes a bit, get into something a little tighter, just to hint at the goods, sway your hips a little more. Bet they’d love that.”

“You have a lot of things to say about my ass, huh? You like it?” He grins mischievously and moves his eyebrows up and down.

Nico rolls his eyes but giggles anyway. “Shut up, that’s not my point.”

“You totally do! Want me to send you a picture?”

“No, gross!”

“You like my ass, babe, don’t deny it,”

“No, I don’t,” Nico rolls his eyes.

“Let’s see about that.” Will bites his lip as he types something on his phone. “There!”

Nico’s phone vibrates. “What is it?”

“See for yourself,”

It’s a picture of Will, nude, just out of the fucking shower, body still glistening from leftover moisture. He’s got his back on camera but he’s turning a little so Nico could still see his handsome face and the shift of his back muscles. But his ass? Oh god his ass. Mag-fucking-nificent. This picture should be in the fucking MoMA. He’d challenge anybody in a fistfight to have this picture displayed in the Louvre. He wants to print copies of it and hand it out to commuters in downtown Berkeley just so they could see how Will is a fucking piece of art come to life. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Will,” he says, still entranced by the photo.

“You like it?” He’s not paying attention to Will anymore but he could still hear the amusement in his voice. He nods.

“There’s more where that came from. Say the word and I’ll show you,”

He swallows the spit that has pooled inside his mouth and cleared his throat. “What do you mean?”

Will gives him a lopsided grin. “What do you want it to be?”

Fucking christ, di Angelo, answer him! It’s a simple fucking question! And you’re not a blushing virgin for fuck’s sake! Any illusions of virginity have fucked off like a fart in the wind the moment you went down on your knees in that fucking national park when you were 20. He clears his throat again. “Don’t answer my question with another question,”

“Stop trying to change the subject then. I offered and I need your answer,” he says. Will is lying on his back now, his phone above him.

“I… I don’t know,”

“It’s a simple yes or no, Neeks. I thought you were a writer? Writers are more eloquent than that, right?”

He brings a finger to his lips and nibbles on it. It’s a filthy habit but he doesn’t do it often so it’s fine. “What if I say no?”

“Then I’ll leave it alone and talk to you like I’m not hard in my shorts right now.”

Fuck. “Fuck,” he groans. “You can’t say shit like that!”

“What? I’m just being honest,” he reasons.

“It’ll influence my answer, dipshit!”

“So you’re saying you want to say yes?”

 _“Argh!”_ He shakes his fist at him

Fuck, is this a good idea? Is having phone sex with Will truly is the answer to this… whatever this is that’s going on between them? If he does this will the confusion, hesitation, or whatever the fuck that is inside his head telling him to _stop_ is finally gonna go away, or will it only add more turmoil? His brain says no but his fattening dick says otherwise.

Nico takes a deep breath. “And if I say yes, what will you do?”

Will gives his best boyish grin.

****

“Nico, what the hell is this? Why is it all black?! I know you like black but this is crazy. You don’t even have a white shirt for baptism or something,” Hazel complains while rapidly browsing his hangers for something that’s not a shade of black. 

“It’s not _all_ black, I have dark reds and blues here somewhere,” Nico reasons as he lifts some shirt.

“Those are all lounge shirts. I mean anything that you could wear in parties and weddings!”

“You know I just wear black in those events,”

“This is a premiere! And you’re not going in as the head writer, well you are, but the press are gonna be more interested in your performance as an actor,”

“Well that’s just stupid. You cannot have a good show if your writers are shit. Shitty actors can still be salvaged with good directing and writing. You can’t save a show with bad writing,”

“I know that, obviously, but you know what they’re like. Just work here with me, please. Look for something with color, I’m gonna call Lauren, see if she has clothes for you.”

“Fine,” Hazel leaves him alone in his room to talk to her stylist. He closes his closet after a few minutes, it’s futile to keep looking for ‘something with color’ because there’s just none. 

Nico lies down on his bed and stares at the ceiling, the scent of fresh sheets surrounds his senses. A sudden flash of what happened last night makes Nico’s groin pulse with interest. It has been hours and he still couldn’t believe he did that, but he’s gonna lie if he says he didn’t enjoy it tremendously. He was only using his fingers but that was the horniest he’d ever been in the past couple of months. The last time he was even remotely that horny was the day he shot his first sex scene. Sex with Travis right after was very satisfying, but it was different. Last night was different. Will was commanding yet gentle, teasing but not cruel. The way the events transpired last night left him feeling warm and cared even though he was filthy with come, drool, and sweat.

Nico groans as he feels arousal under his skin. He closes his eyes and rubs himself gently through his pants. Another groan and he feels himself hardening under his pants. The way Will ordered him to push his finger in, the way Will fucked his fist at the sight of him writhing on the bed, the way he moaned Nico’s name...

“ _Hnng,_ ” 

“...yeah. We’ll be here. You know his measurements, right? Okay, thanks Lauren, you’re a lifesaver! Bye,”

Fuck! Nico instantly turns to his side. Hazel opens the door, “Get up. Get in the shower now, please. Lauren will be here in an hour with your clothes,” and closes it again. Nico lets out a tired sigh and rises to his feet, half chub already waning. 

Hazel does his hair and makeup before Lauren comes an hour later with a burgundy suit, matching dress shirt, and black and white loafers to complete the look. Hazel spritzes some expensive cologne on him and kisses him on the cheek, “You look damn good!” then leaves the room so he could finish whatever he wants to do. 

Nico looks at himself in the mirror then turns around. He really did look good. An idea enters his mind. He grabs his phone immediately and takes a few pictures of himself before he could change his mind. He sends a couple of them to Will and puts his phone on silent. He grabs his old phone and posts a picture of his outfit with his head out of the picture and turns it off. He exits his room and says thank you to Lauren and Hazel before leaving for the party.

The red carpet was so chaotic it reminded him why he doesn’t go to premieres. The flashing lights bombarded him the moment he stepped out of the car until he got inside the building. His eyes hurt. Inside, they ate, Venus, Apollo, Reyna, and Thalia gave a few words of gratitude to the cast and crew, then socialized. It was fun at first but it got boring pretty fast, good thing he saw Jason, Piper, Leo, and Caly at one table so he decided to move with them. They ate again, danced, got a little drunk, and ate some more. The five of them left the party early and went to Jason and Piper’s house to watch a couple of episodes. Hazel and Frank followed soon after. His friends cheered so hard when his character got introduced that the sweet old lady from across the hall knocked on their door to ask if everything’s alright. Piper assured her that everything’s fine so she went back to her unit. They all laughed in hushed voices.

They only got to the second episode before Nico’s had enough. He’s already sober so it’s safe to drive home. After exchanging promises of brunch (or late lunch) the next day with his friends, he went home. He changed his clothes, washed his face, gave Mrs. O’Leary a hug and a kiss, and dived face-first onto his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what I imagined Nico [looked like](https://editorial01.shutterstock.com/wm-preview-1500/10404300bj/1278549c/knives-out-premiere-arrivals-toronto-international-film-festival-canada-shutterstock-editorial-10404300bj.jpg) in the premiere lmao. I love Jaeden's stylist so much. Idk who they are but I want to give them a big hug for dressing Chosen and Jaeden in every red carpet.
> 
> Tell me what you think!
> 
> I'm always on [Tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/)! 😁😁
> 
> P.S. I just realized I forgot to put what Hazel's engagement ring looked like. It's [this](https://www.etsy.com/listing/655222875/marquise-cut-diamond-engagement-ring?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=simple+engagement+ring&ref=sc_gallery-1-5&plkey=119b29c26f5282fb293ce70b42720e30ea4ee2ad%3A655222875&pro=1).


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Whatchu watchin’?” Will asks, scratching his stomach while looking at the TV, figuring out what his friends are watching at 8 PM on a Tuesday.
> 
> Lou Ellen glances up at him then goes back to the TV. “Your dad’s show,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said I would only write, like, 3 chapters from Will's perspective? Ha!
> 
> Again, this fic, like all of my works, are unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.
> 
> I don't think there are any content warnings for this chapter, but If ever you see something that needs tagging, please tell me so I could edit it. Thank you! 💙💙
> 
> P.s. I hope this is coherent.

“Here we go,” Will chuckles instinctively as he pulls up in front of Katie’s family home. It’s been about a year since the last time he was even near the place and it is still bursting with greenery.

“Thanks for the ride, Will. Why don’t you go inside? I’m sure mom would be thrilled to see you again. You know how she is about you,” Katie says with a smile on her face. He knows that look, it’s the i-won’t-take-no-for-an-answer look.

“It’s fine, I have to go anyway. It’s my weekly call with my, uh, mom. She worries. You know how she is about me,” he chuckles nervously.

“Aw, come on.” Katie playfully slaps his shoulder. He looks at the spot where the hit landed. “Just for a while? Just say hi to ma, please? I’m sure Naomi would understand,” She's pretty convincing and he finds himself wanting to give in just so she'd stop asking. If they were still dating he would’ve gone inside without question. He liked Katie’s mom.

His eyes dart around the car thinking of excuses when he hears a sharp knock on Katie’s window. He turns his head to the noise at once that he hears something pop in his neck. It hurt. “Wilhelm! I thought that was you!”

Will immediately smiles and hopes it doesn’t look too fake. He raises a hand as a greeting. “Good evening, Mrs. Gardner,” Katie rolls down her window. “Hey, ma,”

“Wilhelm, I told you to call me Dina. I would prefer ‘mom’ but eh,” she shrugs, her eyes landing on Katie who’s scowling at her. 

“Mom!”

Dina throws her hands up in surrender. “What? I didn’t say anything,”

“Sorry about that. Thanks for the ride again, Will” she leans in before Will could react and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. He automatically touches the spot where she kissed, a response to when they were still dating. She climbs out of the car and walks straight to her doorstep. Dina looks at her daughter walk away from them.

Dina leans down so she can look directly at him. “Will, why don’t you go inside, join us for dinner,”

“Oh no, missus… Dina, I can’t. Cecil’s waiting for me at home, he made something.” He smiles, internally praying Dina would let him go.

“Nonsense, boy, I insist. We’re doing a celebratory dinner for Purple Grave’s upcoming premiere. We have more food than we could eat. You can bring some to your friends if you like. Or do you want me to phone your father?” Dina looks at him like a grandma whose grandkid just refused their offered snacks.

“Uh...” oh no he’s trapped. “Okay,” he relents. 

“Good, now come on. Park your silly old car in the driveway and get inside, the food’s getting cold." Will starts his engine. "I still have no idea why you won't let your old man buy you a new car. That thing is an accident waiting to happen. They pay him way too much for you not to take advantage," 

“I’m taking advantage well enough, ma’am,”

The family affair was awkward, to say the least. Katie’s parents treated him like they never broke up, her dad still called him ‘son’, and her brothers and sisters still insisted he play with them after dinner. They only backed down after Katie told them ‘a friend needed him’.

Katie’s dad, Eric, corners him after dessert, asking about _the things, Will, what’s going on with you now?_ He answers him the best he could. Then he asks, “So, you’re back with Katie, huh? I’m so glad we’re way past that little hiccup,”

Will chokes on his drink, he pounds his chest a couple of times. Seriously? That _little hiccup?_ His daughter cheating on him was reduced to a _little hiccup_? He couldn’t even use the word—even just the word—incident?

He clears his throat and lets out an uncomfortable laugh. Why does it sound like it’s _his_ fault that Katie cheated? He’s the one who got cheated on, he’s the one who got hurt so fuck Eric Gardner, no one can speak to him like that. “No, sir, I only drove her home. We had to finish some paperwork for our rotation and it got late. I was about to go home when Dina invited me in. I’m actually seeing someone else right now.” Polite and honest. Good. He sips his sparkling water and hopes that Eric gets the message that he doesn’t want to elaborate anymore, it’s none of his business anyway. 

Eric doesn’t say anything but it’s obvious that he’s waiting for Will to share him the rest of the story. “Well, who’re you seeing? When did you meet? Is she better than my Katie?”

“Uh, she’s a he. We met about a year ago. We’ve been in a couple of dates and it’s going pretty great,” He grins at his sudden discomfort.

Eric furrows his brows, “He? You’re gay? But you dated my daughter for more than a year?”

“Yeah, I’m not gay,”

Will could practically see the giant question mark above his head and he would have laughed if it were polite to laugh at someone’s confusion. Eric opens his mouth a couple of times like a koi fish being fed, a question obviously at the tip of his tongue, but he never says anything. After giving him one final confused look, he makes a vague excuse and walks away. Will huffs a breath a couple of times, laughing, and tips back what’s left of his sparkling water down his throat. He approaches Dina and Katie, who are in the middle of a conversation, and kisses their cheeks goodbye. He doesn’t find Eric on his way out so drives away without bothering to look for him.

\----

Will drops the call, panting, and throws his phone somewhere in his bed.

Holy fuck. He is so fucking glad that Cecil’s room isn’t beside his since he’s sure he was pretty loud moaning Nico’s name like that. And _fuck_ , Nico looked so fucking good bent over, pumping his fingers in and out of himself, whining his name like he’s in the fucking room with him. He closes his eyes and shudders to the image again like it’s tattooed behind his fucking eyelids. He wonders what it’s like touching Nico again, what sounds he’d make, the spots that’d make him squirm and mewl. He was impaired with booze the first time he touched so most of the memories had faded along with the alcohol in his system. Will groans. He could jerk off again but it won’t be as enjoyable as it was with Nico on his screen.

He reaches for his phone with his clean hand. He really should wipe his hand before touching his phone, lest he’ll get drying spunk on it, but he can’t wait. He wipes three of his fingers on his discarded shirt, he’ll put it in the hamper anyway, and unlocks his phone.

 **Me**   
r u ok? **22:17**

🖤💀🖤 **Dark Lord** 🖤💀🖤   
I’m fine **22:18**

 **Me**   
is it ok? **22:18**

🖤💀🖤 **Dark Lord** 🖤💀🖤   
What do you mean? **22:20**

What does he mean exactly? Is he asking Nico if he’s physically okay or if having video sex with him was fine? That sounds pathetic.

 **Me**   
u didnt pass out right? **22:21**

🖤💀🖤 **Dark Lord** 🖤💀🖤   
No, at least I think so. **22:21**   
But I’ve never finished that hard masturbating   
before **22:22**

Will groans, cus what the hell?! He bites the back of his hand and replies.

 **Me**   
fuck rly? **22:23**   
thanks for the confidence boost! **22:23**

🖤💀🖤 **Dark Lord** 🖤💀🖤   
Without toys!! **22:23**   
Don’t be too cocky **22:23**

Will laughs at that.

\----

Will’s phone beeps while watching a movie. He distractedly unlocks it, he’s in an important scene in Jojo Rabbit and he can’t be bothered pausing to look at the message he had received.

Will sobs as he watches Jojo turn and see his mother’s shoes hanging beside him. He pauses the film, not wanting to miss anything as tears stream down his face, and rubs the bridge of his nose. He finally takes a glance at his unlocked phone and sees Nico wearing a burgundy suit, looking gorgeous as ever. He makes an embarrassing noise that he would deny ever making for the rest of his life if someone happens to hear him.

“Jesus Christ, Nico, why can’t you be gorgeous later when I’m not crying?!”

He saves the picture and makes it his lock screen before playing the movie once more.

\----

“Whatchu watchin’?” Will asks, scratching his stomach while looking at the TV, figuring out what his friends are watching at 8 PM on a Tuesday.

Lou Ellen glances up at him then goes back to the TV. “Your dad’s show,”

Will grimaces. “Aw man. Why? You know how I feel when I see him on screen,”

“You were in your room when we started watching, it’s your fault you went out.”

“Cecil, back me up! He’s got sex scenes in this show! I don’t want to see my dad having sex with someone on TV!”

“Will, believe it or not, your dad is hot. And if you weren’t my friend and he’s not with your mom, I would probably post thirst tweets about him and get featured in Buzzfeed. So if you don’t wanna watch, go back to your room or shut up because it’s getting good!”

“Ew, Lou, stop sexualizing my dad.”

“Chill out, I’m not. I’m just stating facts.”

Will looks at his other friend. “Cecil!”

“Dude, I don’t know what to say to you, she got me hooked up. She made me watch the first season last week and I finished it in one day,”

“Shush, boys! I’m listening!” Lou Ellen swats both their shoulders. “Holy shit! What the fuck, did you see that?”

“Wait,” Will’s eyes bug out, “Go back a little,” Lou Ellen does. “Is that… Nico?”

Cecil snaps his fingers and points at the screen. “Holy shit, that _is_ Nico! Oh my god!”

Lou Ellen snaps her head back at him, “I didn’t know he was an actor. Did you know about this?”

What the fuck, Nico is in his dad’s show! He said he was a writer but it’s unmistakably him. Pale skin, black hair, slightly short stature, his dark eyes, the way he moves, the way he walks, even fucking breathe. It _is_ Nico.

What the fuck?!

“No,” he says, unblinking. “He said he was a writer. I didn’t even know he writes for Purple Grave,” He feels the couch and sits on its arm.

The three of them continue watching the show, gasping and groaning at the moments where something happens to the characters on screen. Nico is shown three more times before the episode ends. They, Will especially, watch out for the end credits.

“Who wrote the episode?” He asks.

“No idea,” “I dunno, we skipped the opening,”

“Go back to the opening credits. It’s usually there, right?”

Lou Ellen plays the title sequence again, watching out for any familiar names.

“Executive producers, yadda, yadda, yadda, Purple Grave, oh there!” Lou Ellen yelps when she sees it.

“Written by Nico di Angelo, holy shit, dude! Your boyfriend’s freaking talented!” Cecil claps his back and shakes him a little.

“What’s his character’s name again?” Eyes still on screen who’s showing Nico again. He looks fucking hot in his uniform.

“Um, I think it’s Mitchell or something.”

“Will you skip to the end credits?”

“Sure,” 

Lo and behold, it says Nico but D’Antonio? Will cocks his head to the side in confusion.

“Huh?” Will hears Cecil behind him. “D’Antonio? Isn’t he do Angels or something?”

“Di Angelo… his family name’s di Angelo,”

“Is he using a screen name?”

“Apparently. Why though? He uses his real name in writing but a screen name in shows? That doesn’t make any sense. Is that allowed?”

“I dunno,” Will says, almost a whisper. He reaches back for his phone but hesitates. Nico didn’t tell him about starring in the show, so maybe he didn’t want Will knowing about his acting gig? Is this the new responsibility he’s been talking about?

“When did this start streaming?”

Cecil munches on some dried mango. “Two weeks ago, I think.”

“Yeah, around two weeks ago. I just found out on Twitter.”

Will moves back to the couch and they play the second episode.

Will doesn’t know what’s happening (he didn’t watch the first two seasons and has no plans in doing so) but he’s enjoying watching Nico move around the precinct and help the detectives in their cases. His character is also way chipper than himself so it’s fun to see him behaving like an adult with hopes and dreams of changing the world one case at a time. 

“It’s getting late, should we play another episode?” Lou Ellen asks.

“Did you turn in your paper for Aguirre’s class?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Yup. Ces?”

“I got a few more sentences left but it’s cool. I can turn it in before bed.”

“Okay, let’s fuckin’ go!”

Nico’s character, Giulio ‘Gio’ Mitchell, enters a slightly posh apartment complex from the fire exit and climbs up the stairs.

“Why won’t he use the elevators? That’s a long climb, buddy.” Cecil says. Will huffs out a laugh.

Gio exits the stairs on the sixth floor and unlocks one of the units. He turns around to lock it when his phone rings. He answers it. Lou Ellen and Cecil gasp simultaneously.

The scene cuts to Kiki at the precinct. “Officer Mitchell, have you seen the files on my desk?”

Lou Ellen opens his mouth at Cecil in a silent scream. She hits his knee a couple of times.“Why? What’s going on?” Will asks. 

“No, detective. I’m on door duty for a while but I…” someone noses the back of his neck and nips on it. The camera reveals the person behind him and Will almost passes out.

“ _Aaah!_ Nooo!” He yells, grabbing the remote and pausing it to Nico’s face when he cranes his head to the right to let his fucking _father_ , his flesh and blood, lick and suck on his neck.

The three of them scream-shout while pointing at the TV.

“What the fuuuuuuuuck?!” Cecil has his hands through his hair, clutching them as he looks at the two of them.

Lou Ellen covers her ears as she screams and stomps in her spot. Will just screams.

“This is fucking why I don’t watch my dad’s shows!”

“They’re fucking! Apollo and Nico are fucking!”

“Don’t say Nico and Apollo! Cecil, what the fuck!”

Will’s chest is pounding, his palms wet, even the back of his fucking knees are sweating. Jesus Christ, this somehow feels way worse than catching Katie dry hump that Robbie guy by the fire exit of Crow’s Nest.

With trembling knees, he falls back to the couch, tipping his head back to look at the pristine white ceiling with fake cobwebs in the corners (it was Lou Ellen’s idea). This is so fucking surreal. His dad, and the guy he’s ass over tits with, necking on screen? This can’t be real. He’s died and this is hell.

He doesn’t know when the shouting stopped. One second they’re all screaming and pointing at the TV, then they’re all on their asses catching their breath the next.

“Maybe it’s not that bad, right? Maybe they’ll cut to the next scene,” Lou Ellen says, face flushed, dark hair matted on her forehead from perspiration. He shrugs and Cecil makes a noncommittal noise that she takes as an affirmative. She hits play.

Nope. It is so much fucking worse.

Will has his legs drawn up to his chest, chin resting on top of his knees and covers his ears but he can still hear Nico’s gasps and moans like he did two weeks ago. He mistakenly looks up and his dad’s ass greets him as he pets Nico’s head in front of him.

Onscreen Nico groans in ecstasy and shit if his dick didn’t twitch at that. Fucking mother _cockshit!_ The noises that Nico is making are the same exact ones he made two weeks ago and that night at his party.

Will slowly raises his head again to look at the screen. Nico is now on his stomach. He puts a hand in front of him to block his view of his dad who’s probably fake eating Nico’s ass.

He’s hard, but he has a stuffed animal on his lap so his friends won’t see his extremely confused boner, because though the scene is fucking riling him up, his fucked up boner won’t even acknowledge that the other man onscreen is his dad, just _Niconiconico_.

He lets his thoughts wander for a while, thinking of Nico, naked under his sheets, mewling his name. He accidentally glances at the TV again and sees a flash of blond hair. His brain goes into overdrive and supplies an image of himself fucking into Nico.

He jumps over the couch and locks himself in his room, reciting all the bones in the human body to refrain from shoving his hand down his lounge shorts and beat it. He succeeds, but only through gritted teeth. He goes out of his room, twenty minutes later, boner almost gone.

“What happened?”

“Dude, the whole fucking sequence was over two minutes!”

“Next time I see Nico I’m gonna ask him what your dad’s ass feels like under his hands.”

He groans for what is like the 76th time for the past two hours alone, “Don’t be gross, Lou,”

She reaches for her phone and types something. “Or I could just ask for pictures of Mrs. O’Leary.” She types some more and shows it to him. “See?”

“Just tell me what happened after the whole,” he makes a gesture with his hands that he hopes his friends would understand.

“Nico showed your dad the case files after they had sex then he went back to the precinct and stashed it under somebody’s pile,” God bless Lou Ellen for not making him use the words sex, dad, and Nico in one sentence.

“Stop calling his character Nico, okay? And don’t call him ‘my dad’, please, for my fucking sanity.” Will scrunches his face in disgust. “Wouldn’t he get caught by the cameras?”

“Nope, he put it riiight by the tiny blindspot on Barton’s desk,”

Will waves his hand dismissively. “I don’t wanna watch anymore. I knew I shouldn’t have watched in the first place.”

“Aw man, I’m sorry,”

“It’s just,” he sighs, trying his hardest to keep his dinner down. “They started shooting last February or March, I don’t fucking know. So they probably shot this episode around April or fucking May.” He pinches the bridge of his nose to calm himself down. “I know they’re just acting but it’s my fucking dad, guys! And the person I’m fucking crazy about! I just watched them have sex!”

It’s not real. It’s their fucking job and he knows it. He should get used to this by now since he grew up with his dad telling them stories of his days on set, sometimes he’d even share, in great detail, how they shot the raunchy parts of his project, but no matter how many times he wrapped his mind around it, he just could not understand how can he touch someone without meaning it. It’s part of the reason why he chose music rather than acting when his parents let him choose before. 

Seeing him with Nico is making his head spin. Seeing his dad’s tongue down his throat and his hands roaming around his body, touching him where Will hasn’t even touched, making him moan, is making him sick to his stomach. And what’s worse? His dad had kissed him first. His dad had touched him first. His dad had heard him make those little mewling sounds first. 

He is fucking pissed.

It’s fucked up how he’s thinking all these things but can’t help it. Christ, how can his mom stand this?!

“We hooked up, you know?” he blurts out.

“What?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Me and Nico, in my party,”

“What?!” Lou Ellen yells.

“You weren’t fucking Katie?!”

“No, I wasn’t. I was with Nico. We went to one of the rooms,”

“There were fucking rooms?! We were all drunk that night! I puked in Billie’s mom’s car!”

“Did you two fuck?!”

“No, he, uh” Will scratches an eyebrow. “He fell asleep before we could do anything,”

“And?”

“That’s it,”

“Bullshit, I don’t believe you,”

“That’s it, really. We had dinner a few days after and talked but I don’t think that counted. I asked him what we are now, he said something vague, but he let me kiss him so I don’t know. He invited me to his apartment a week or two later--”

Cecil points at him, “That night you tripped on the couch?”

“--then we made out in his kitchen. Yeah, that time,”

“And then what?”

Will shrugs. “We facetime every night,”

Cecil grimaces, “Oof, that can’t be good,”

Will looks at him with sad eyes, “You think so?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, you make out every time you’re together but don’t talk about it after? That can’t… be… really good? I dunno, back me up here, Lou. I suck at this,”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound really good. You talk every day but never really communicate. I think it’s like treating someone every day for lunch then expecting them to… treat you next time? Did that analogy make any sense?”

Will shakes his head and Cecil says no.

“I dunno what to tell you, Will, but you have to talk to him. _Really_ talk to him,”

“Guess you’re right,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a person can't have two IMDb pages and I'm pretty sure you can't use a screen name and your name at the same time in a show, but let's just pretend you can. After all they started shooting in March, finished around June, and started streaming in October. It's all unrealistic, baby!
> 
> Tell me what you think!
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/alveolivioli).


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now he’s here, in the middle of October, sitting in front of his childhood friend outside this quaint little coffee shop, waiting for the barista to finish making his coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the first time in a long time, I posted this early!
> 
>  **CW:** mentions of a family member's death
> 
> I don't think this chapter has any more content warnings other than that, but if you ever find one, please do not hesitate to tell me so I could tag it properly. Thanks!

“Yeah? Who is this?”

_“Hi, Nico, it’s Annabeth,”_

Nico stops in his tracks and looks around him, checking his surroundings, looking for signs that he's being watched. Mrs. O’Leary is busy sniffing a tree bark while some girls pet her. “Uh, hi?” He says in a voice unnaturally high. He clears his throat and repeats himself in a much calmer voice, “Hi, Annabeth, what can I do for you?”

_“I got your number from Frank, sorry. Do you have something going on right now? Is it all right if we talk?”_

He turns around again, his eyes darting around the place. “What, now?”

_“Yeah, if that’s okay,”_

“I’m, uh, I’m walking Mrs. O’Leary,”

_“Oh, you are? God, I miss that dog. Can you bring her along?”_

“I’m sweaty,” he says, eyebrows furrowed. He kicks a rock under his shoes.

_“That’s alright, it’s my day off,”_

“O-kay?” Like her response should answer all the questions at the tip of his tongue. 

_“Great! I’ll go find a pet-friendly restaurant and drop you the address. See you in twenty,”_ and she ends the call.

Before he could put his phone back in his fanny pack, it rings again, this time it shows Will’s dumb laughing face on the screen. He hits accept.

“Hello?”

_“Hey, Neeks. Are you busy right now? Can we talk?”_

What is up with these people? Why is he so hot today? He clicks his tongue. “Tough luck, buddy, you just missed my free time by literal seconds. My presence is needed elsewhere today and I don’t think I’m up for any more appearances after this one.”

“Oh, alright,” Nico catches the disappointment in his voice before it gets replaced by a jovial tone. “When do you think is your next free time? I’d like to book an appointment,”

“You want me to pencil you in now, huh?” He chuckles. His phone vibrates in his hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll text you later. No joke, I have to check my schedule to make sure I’m not doing anything that time. You know, new responsibilities and everything,” He smiles and bites his lip, thinking of things they could do when they meet. It didn’t even register in his mind that Will wanted to talk about something. 

“Okay, I’ll be waiting. Imma let you go now, you sound like you’re busy. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah, okay,”

“Alright. Bye, have a good day,” Will ends the call.

Nico looks at his phone before putting it back, the smile never leaving his face. The girls who were petting Mrs. O’Leary are gone so he whistles at her and they continue walking along the pavement. Good thing he has wet wipes in his fanny pack because the message was from Annabeth, the address for a restaurant. It’s a fifteen-minute walk from where they are right now so he doesn’t bother going back home to get his car. He just walks with Mrs. O’Leary until he sees Annabeth sitting outside the restaurant in black pants and a gray sweater sipping iced coffee. She waves when she sees them. He wipes his face frantically before crossing the street.

He smiles awkwardly, his stomach tightening. Truth be told he kind of forgot about Annabeth being here. He was busy with interviews, promotions, and drafting the script for Purple Grave. The bosses have greenlit the fourth season already but they haven’t announced it to the public yet, so, as a part of the writing team, they have to start with the plot, storyboard, and whatnot. And he hasn’t seen Frank and/or Hazel after the premiere so it just slipped his mind.

Now he’s here, in the middle of October, sitting in front of his childhood friend outside this quaint little coffee shop, waiting for the barista to finish making his coffee.

“I saw your interview, by the way,” Annabeth says while petting Mrs. O’Leary. She didn’t recognize her at first, granted that she was still a pup when the three of them rescued her, but the moment she sniffs Annabeth’s hand, her tail starts wagging like she’s going to sprain it. Annabeth has to hold her tail down so she won’t hurt herself.

“Which one? I did plenty of those this past month I can’t keep track anymore,”

“The one with tuna eyes and chicken feet, answering personal questions and whatnot,” She answers, then kisses Mrs. O’Leary’s head.

Ah, he enjoyed that one tremendously. “Ah, that one.”

“You looked like you were having fun,”

“I was,”

“We’ve also watched your show, Percy and I. The episodes you wrote were good. Percy loved them, he couldn’t stop talking about the baby episode in the first season when he first saw it. I think he blew Patrick’s ear off with that one.” She laughs. It’s a nice sound, he missed it.

Nico thanks the server for bringing his drink. He tastes it, grimacing from the bitterness. He adds more sugar to it. “You watched the show?”

“Of course! Patrick told us that you were writing for Reyna’s show I think a few months after you started shooting. We binged the first season in a day and a half.”

“What do you think? About the show,” He furrowed his eyebrows together slightly, bracing himself for the scalding review only Annabeth Chase could give.

“Didn’t you hear anything I said earlier, silly? We loved it,” She smiles at him the way it always makes his stomach warmed up like he just drank warm milk on a cold evening. Annabeth has that effect on him, on most people really. Both she and Percy took care of him and Hazel when Bianca died and their father shut them out, so he owes them the mental and emotional stability he currently has. 

Annabeth was the one who convinced him to write. When the night was cold and the wind blew hard outside, the sounds of branches scraping against his bedroom window keeping him up, his imagination running wild, the first time he picked up a pencil and wrote down his own version of the giants fighting the gods just outside the comfort of his room was like opening a door to a room that’s been locked for so long. It was like all the creatures that had scared him lost their control over him the moment they were written down, so he kept going. He’d share them with Bianca and she’d supply a few of her own then they’d let them meet in one of Nico’s many notebooks.

He wrote more after Bianca died, often for hours on end. It was the only thing that could numb the hole in the middle of his chest. He’d write down things that he thought she could’ve been doing that day, he’d write the three of them together, exploring the nearby town, bringing home copious amounts of snacks. He’d write the four of them, their dad gray with age and the three of them old enough to have things of their own, like a house and a car. In his stories they would always spend time together, on the beach or having a meal at home, always with Bianca living happily on her own or with a dog and a lover. All the things that she deserved but will never have.

He would write stories of him finding a gate to the underworld and rescuing his sister from the god of the dead as Orpheus did, but instead of a doomed lover it’s her sister, and instead of breaking his promise and turning around they’d make it out, the two of them, sometimes with their mother, sometimes with their father, because even though Henry di Angelo is alive and in the other room, he might as well be dead from how he’d cut himself off from his family.

Writing was also one of the things that kept him from acting. He would write most of the day away and somewhere along the line, the offers stopped coming and his agent dropped him, then after a few months later his manager. He didn’t mind, he liked performing but writing was more important then. Writing fulfilled _his_ fantasies, unlike acting where he would have to satisfy somebody else’s.

He wrote and went to school, then the thing with Percy happened and he wrote some more. He wrote after he broke up with Jason and wrote even more for college. He drank, interned, PA'd, pitched what he wrote, got rejected, fucked around, drank, wrote some more. One day somebody reached out and he started writing for a living. He still drank, he still fucked, and finally the hole in his chest got covered with cheap plaster. He wrote for cheesy movies and cheesy shows, some got their conclusion and some ended prematurely.

One day he started smiling again, rekindled a friendship and even started a 'relationship'. He made a deal to date a friend, a feeble attempt to seal the plaster in his chest with something firmer. When that got shot straight to hell, he met someone new, someone more solid, better than he could hope for, but he’s not thinking about that right now.

"Imagine our surprise when you showed up onscreen in the first episode. We didn’t recognize you at first, but then it clicked and Percy knocked the popcorn off his lap! God, that was such a mess! The floor was so sticky after," She laughs again and he feels himself blush.

Wait, Percy knocked the popcorn? "Is- is he here?" He asks cautiously.

Annabeth smiles at him. She gives Mrs. O'Leary one more gentle scratch under her ear and sits properly. Nico sees a glint of something on her hand, eyes gravitating towards it. Rings.

Annabeth sees him looking at her left hand. "Ah, yeah. We, uh, we got married two years ago,"

The news startles Nico, which shouldn’t be since it’s always been inevitable. "Oh, congratulations,"

"Thank you,"

"I didn't know. I would've gotten you a gift had I known,"

"It's alright. Talking to you right now is a gift. And to answer your question, yes, he's here. He wanted to come but decided not to, just in case you didn’t wanna see him," She nibbles on her cookies. "I wanted to take my chances,"

"No, that’s crazy, of course I want to see him," He takes a sip of his warm coffee. "Was Thalia present? At the wedding?"

"No, but Jason and Piper were. She sent a gift, though"

Ah.

Jason never mentioned anything. He really would've gotten them something if he knew. 

"Nico, listen--"

"No, it's fine, Annabeth," He shakes his head. "You don't have to say anything. That was a long time ago, we were all kids back then. I made a mistake, you both made a mistake. I won't say we're even but don't you think twelve years is a long time to get hung up to something as trivial as that?”

“That wasn’t trivial but I… I suppose you’re right,” she says. 

They sit in relative silence, drinking their coffee, taking in the cold air, the sound of traffic, and giving Mrs. O’Leary dog treats and biscuits. Nico grows restless as the minutes tick by.

Finally, when he can’t take the silence anymore, he asks, “Can we be friends again?”

“I never stopped being yours,”

Nico rises from his seat and rushes to Annabeth’s side, hugging her as tightly as he can, pouring every love and affection he kept to himself for over a decade. His eyes burn with unshed tears. “I miss you so much,”

“Oh how much you’ve grown!” Annabeth says, her voice thick with emotions. “I missed you too, tremendously,” she pulls him down and kisses his cheeks, temples, forehead, nose. Nico giggles, tears finally falling down his cheeks. Annabeth wipes them away with her thumbs.

“Stop, I’m sweaty! I stink!” Mrs. O’Leary lols her tongue out and paws on the two of them, wanting to be included in the embrace.

“No! I missed out on all of this, I have to have my fill of kisses!”

Annabeth only stops the flurry of kisses when her phone vibrates. She reads the message and puts it back in her tiny purse.

“Who was it?”

“It’s Percy,”

“Oh, you have to go?”

“Nah, we see each other almost every day, he can wait. You’re my priority right now,”

Nico beams at him, feeling like a little kid again. He remembers her taking him for ice cream on days his sisters and the other two boys were busy. “Are we gonna have ice cream just like the old times?”

“If you want. We could totally do that,”

“Christ, it’s like we’re kids again. You’re 31 and I’m 29, we’re too old to have ice cream at 8 in the morning,”

“Who says, the ice cream police? Isn’t that what being an adult is all about, doing things you couldn’t do as a child?”

“You’re right. Okay, let’s do that! Let’s go eat some ice cream at 8 in the morning!”

“That’s the spirit!”

“But I don’t wanna go in my workout clothes. Lemme just go home for a while to shower and change, I’ll meet you at the place,”

“Yeah, about that, I was hoping you know the spots. It’s been a long time since I was here and a lot has changed. I could wait for you, I don’t have anything to do today,”

“Are you sure? My place is a dump,”

“It’s fine. I’ve been living with Percy for more than half a decade already, you know how messy he is,”

“He hasn’t changed?”

“Believe it or not he got better,”

“Good for him,” 

“Yeah, he’s lucky I’m with him,”

“That he is,”

They talk the whole way back to Nico’s building, Annabeth sharing what they were up to and Nico doing the same. She purses her lips when Nico opens the door to his place.

“What?”

Annabeth hums and sweeps her eyes around, “Nothing,”

“I know that look. You still have the same look when you see something you don’t approve of,”

“Nothing! I swear,”

“We may have not seen each other for over a decade but you can’t fool me, Chase. Spit it out,”

“There’s too much black,” She says, grinning.

“Yeah, I like black,”

“That much is obvious, but you know you can have black at your home without it looking like witch’s lair, right?”

“It’s fine, I’m not here all the time. Would it be better if I say my bedroom’s white?”

“You have a weird color scheme is all,”

“It’s black and white,”

“Your house looks like an office,”

Nico shrugs. “I don’t know shit about designing a house. I just painted what I like,”

Annabeth grins at her widely. “I could give you a discount,”

Nico narrows his eyes at her but still smiling as he speaks, “Are you just here to ask me to hire you?”

“Maybe,”

“Hardy har har,” He takes off his fanny pack and gives Mrs. O’Leary her food and water. “Help yourself to everything in the fridge. I think there’s cake there or whatever. I’m gonna take a shower,”

“Thanks,”

Nico grabs his towel and showers as fast as he could without compromising his cleanliness. He changes into a deep blue sweater, black pants, and boots. Annabeth whistles when he emerges from his room.

“What?” he asks again. It’s looking like he’s gonna ask it a lot of times today.

“I should’ve known you haven’t gotten over your obsession with black,”

“Gee, I wonder what gave it away? I’m wearing blue,”

“Honey, two shades darker and it’s black,”

“Eh,” he shrugs. Nico kisses Mrs. O’Leary and looks at the hairs on his sweater. She’s right, he’s still wearing dark clothes that he doesn’t even have to brush the hair off his sweater anymore, no one would even notice.

Mrs. O’Leary whines and wags her tail weakly when she sees them approach the door. Annabeth awws and runs back to Mrs. O’Leary to give her another kiss, promising to bring back treats. She seems to understand. Nico turns the TV on for her entertainment and locks the door.

“Where to?” Annabeth asks.

“I know just the place,”

The ice cream parlor is still close when they arrive, but the employees know and like Nico enough that they let them inside while they prepare the store for the day. They give Annabeth and Nico their orders fifteen minutes before they open. Annabeth foots the bill and gives a generous tip before they leave.

They spend the whole day together shopping, watching a movie, and him taking Annabeth to various food trucks and restaurants that he liked around the city.

He gives Annabeth her ‘wedding gift’ that he bought after they had separated because Annabeth wanted to buy ‘something’. He was positive it was either underwear or feminine products. He thought it was silly since he used to buy Hazel’s needs especially when it’s an emergency but she obviously needed privacy so he gave it to her. The gift is a roomba. He says it's mainly for Percy. She laughs and says thank you. She hugs Nico and kisses him on his forehead.

"I know you have this already but I wanna give it anyway,"

"You know Percy's just gonna tape some knives on this and make it fight with the other one gladiator-style, right?"

Nico snorts. "I would too if I have two of those,"

He pulls over in front of Annabeth’s apartment at 9 PM (one of Patrick’s many gifts, just in case they want to spend time on the west coast), exhausted and full from their adventure. He gives her a tight hug before letting her go. “I’m going to have brunch with Hazel, Jason, and the others tomorrow. You and Percy should come,” he offers.

“We would like that,” she smiles at him broadly and hugs him again before getting out of the car.

Nico lets out a yawn the moment he gets inside his apartment. He’s so tired and full he doesn’t even want to take another shower to rinse the sweat and dust off his body. He just wants to remove his shoes and pass out in his bed.

He is on his way to do exactly that when his phone rings. He absentmindedly hits the accept button. “‘Lo,” he slurs.

_“Nico,”_

“Yeah?”

_“Look at your Twitter,”_

He puts the caller on speaker and removes his sweater. “Hm?”

_“I said go to Twitter,”_

“Why would I do that? Who’s this by the way?”

_“It’s Shayne, your manager,”_

Oh right, he has a manager now. “Ah, sorry about that. I was out, just got home,”

_“Congrats. Are you gonna go on Twitter or not?”_

“I don’t want to. Why, what’s it about?” 

_“I’m gonna send you a cover of this month’s scoop,”_

“The magazine?”

_“Yeah,”_

“Okay, give it to me,” Nico’s phone beeps. “Hold on,” The cover doesn’t look scandalous, it’s actually… very retro. If he were to see this on a magazine stand he’d probably pick it up. The only thing that’s concerning is his name on the bottom right of the picture.

“It… doesn’t look too bad? I mean, it could be worse, right?”

 _“Yeah, it could be,”_ She sighs on the other side. _“I’ve been wanting to get a hold of you all day. Someone took a picture of you this morning with one of the founders of Chase & Crawford. You seem pretty cozy. Wanna tell me what that’s about? So I know what angle we're going with here,” _

Nico is fully awake now and he laughs _hard_. “Annabeth?! No way!”

_“So you’re on a first name basis with her, huh? Buddy, you’re not telling me anything,”_

“Um yeah, she’s my friend. I actually haven’t seen her in twelve years. Well, I saw her like two weeks ago but we didn’t really talk. And she was there for official business. She reached out to me literally just this morning and we talked. I was with her the whole day,”

_“Yeah, the people noticed too. You’re trending in whole America,”_

His face twists with confusion. “What? Why?”

_“Because of her, and your interview for Pop Surf from two weeks ago. That one died down quick, just one, two days, but it's back because of the pictures,”_

“Again, why?”

 _“You used a quote from Supernatural and apparently, you didn’t say the whole thing. Now people are speculating whether you’re gay or not,”_ He hears a rustle of paper from the other side. _“And there are tweets of people backing up the claims saying you’ve hooked up with them before,”_ She sighs. _“But lucky for us, people have little to no candid photos of you in compromising positions except from eight years ago. Everybody does stupid shit in college, nobody gives a fuck. You haven’t hooked up with someone since the marketing started for season 3, have you?”_

Will, he thinks, but doesn’t say anything. “No, I don’t,”

_“Good. So, do you wanna share something with the class? Any questionable behavior I should be worried about?”_

“I don’t know what to tell you, man. Annabeth is my friend, she’s like a sister to me and she’s married. We grew up together.” He removes his pants and sits on his bed in his underwear. “And I’m gay. My friends and family know and they don’t give a shit,”

_“Okay. Do you want to come out? I’m giving you the choice,”_

He thinks hard. He wants to be a good client because god knows how a prick he was to his previous one, but he doesn’t want people meddling with his affairs too. “Will it be a bad idea if I don’t say anything?”

_“So far, no. People are calling you out for being too touchy with a married woman but some people are defending you too. Just don't make out with her or anything like that and you'll do fine,”_

He scoffs. “Ew. I don’t need people defending me,”

She ignores it. _“The quote thing is currently overshadowed by the pictures today but who's to say it won’t switch places tomorrow,”_

“I’m a nobody, I’m sure it will die down within a week or so,”

_“You’re not exactly a nobody anymore. Your face is literally everywhere now and I’ve been getting offers for you. That’s one thing I wanted to discuss if you just answered your phone today,”_

He squints hard, thinking about his schedule for the week and the coming months. It's looking tight. “I’m probably free... the day after tomorrow, but after that I will most likely be in the writer’s room with Thalia and Reyna. Then appearance with _the gang_ , editing, more writing, more editing, then script meeting, writing--”

_“Yes, yes, Nico, I know your schedule. Let’s talk on Saturday, yeah?”_

He yawns, covering his mouth out of politeness. “Alright,”

_“Good. Now go take a shower and go to bed. You sound tired,”_

“I’ll do that, thanks. Good night, Shayne.”

 _“G’night,”_ She hangs up.

Nico flops back on his bed and stares at the ceiling. Mrs. O’Leary is on the bed giving him no attention since she already got her treats from Annabeth. He turns to his side and pets her hips, she wags her tail but keeps her eyes closed. When he’s done petting her, he stands up, groaning as he does, and showers quickly. He changes into his rattier shirt and forgoes his sleep shorts for boxers. He sleeps soundly with his nose buried in the body of his pet, dreaming about his sisters, a golden-haired girl, and a dark-haired boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nico has a lot of problems but being in the closet is not one of them. 😉
> 
> He's getting old and tired, he just wants his friends back. 😁😁
> 
> This is Annabeth's [clothes](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/55/a9/e7/55a9e7a1201098a6dcdfbb61cfca71c7.jpg) and this is [Nico's](https://editorial01.shutterstock.com/wm-preview-1500/10245563b/8baed067/james-mcavoy-out-and-about-london-uk-shutterstock-editorial-10245563b.jpg). From now on I will only use James McAvoy's casual and red carpet looks because he's a fine man and they have the same height lmao James is a lot more muscular than Nico though.
> 
> Tell me what you think!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo here it is. This chapter feels a little bit off but I did my best. I'm sorry. 
> 
> I don't think there's any content warning in this chapter but if you find any, please do not hesitate to inform me so I could tag it properly. Thanks!
> 
> Also, please forgive my news writing ability as I do not have any.

The murmur of the TV can be heard from Nico’s room as he shuffles around, picking up used items of clothing and throwing them into his hamper. He hasn’t cleaned in about a week and dust bunnies are already gathering under his bed. He swipes a finger on top of his dresser, it gathers a fair amount of dust on his fingertips. He rubs it into a ball and throws it in the trash. _You could plant onions in this dust, Nico, clean this up!_ Bianca used to say. He goes out to get a rag and wipes whatever he can before washing it on the sink and hanging it out to dry.

It has been a surreal month; his first acting job in over a decade got released (with positive reviews for his performance at that!), his old childhood friends are back, his sister is about to get engaged. If someone had told this to him at 19, he would’ve socked them right in the jaw and spat on them.

Mrs. O’Leary lies on his bed as Nico opens his closet to browse for something to wear. The restaurant Jason had picked is not pet-friendly so she’s gonna have to stay. Their brunch is still a good few hours away but he woke up at the break of dawn and he’s already spent three hours writing, so now he’s here. 

He rummages the back of his closet for something new. He knows he has a lot of stuff at the back especially from Reyna and Leo who keep giving him _coloured_ clothes (Leo seems especially fond of giving him neon ones). He manages to pull out a ‘burnt sienna’ sweater Reyna gave him a year ago for his birthday. It looks quite nice, a fall color. He could pair it with black pants and boots so he would still look ‘in character’. 

His phone rings before he could grab some pants. He reaches out to it and hits accept. “Yeah?” he answers, looking at his rows of almost identical black pants.

_“Hey, Nico, it’s Annabeth,”_

“Hey. Annabeth, you and Percy are gonna come later yeah?”

_“Yeah. I mean I am. Percy had to go back this morning to New York. Work stuff. Sorry, I know you’re looking forward to seeing him,”_

A knot in his stomach he didn’t know he had loosened. “Oh,” Was he not ready to see Percy? “Okay, I’ll see you later,”

 _“Um, listen, is it okay if you give me a ride? I could take a taxi but I only have like, a week left before I have to go back home, and I want to spend time with you as much as possible. It’s weird, I know, but it’s been_ twelve years, _”_ he hears the smile in her voice and he does too instinctively. He wants to spend more time with her too if he’s being honest.

“Yeah, sure! Pick you up at 1:15?” He removes a pair of pants from its hanger and spreads it in front of him. This will do, he thinks. 

_“That’s perfect, thanks!”_

“No problem.” Nico folds the pants and tosses it beside Mrs. O’Leary. He glances at his dresser, his eyes landing on the titanium and sapphire ring Hazel gave him a few years back. An idea forms in his mind. “Hey, Annabeth,”

_“Yeah?”_

“You wanna do something stupid?”

_“It depends. What kind of stupid are we talking about?”_

“Pretty damn stupid,”

In retrospect, he should’ve definitely talked to Shayne before doing it, or even just gave her a heads up, but it was such a good idea two hours ago that he didn’t really think about the possible consequences of his actions. Annabeth agreed to it though and she’s supposed to be the smart one, so fuck it, right? He’s just glad that Hazel’s 5-year obsession with jewels and precious stone earned him a sapphire ring to match Annabeth’s engagement and wedding rings. Percy has always had such a weird obsession with blue.

“Are you ready?” Annabeth asks beside him. They’re in a parking space a block away from the restaurant. He didn’t want to park too close just in case he changes his mind and chickens out with the plan, he would need the extra time to compose himself.

“No, but fuck it, let’s do this!” He pumps himself up before opening his door.

“Alright,” Annabeth says as she claps his shoulders and gets out of the car.

Though they don’t hold hands, they walk awfully close together. Close enough that any stranger could mistake them as lovers. He wonders if they look weird since Annabeth is taller by a good few centimeters. He reckons it’s fine, plenty of women are taller than their partners and whatnot.

The air is nice and cold even at 1 in the afternoon. It’s the perfect weather to walk around and had he not been out with friends, he would have taken Mrs. O’Leary to the beach. Just hang around, not worrying about other things or tanning too much. It’s been a long time since they went to the beach without worrying about anything.

“What’s on your mind?” Annabeth asks, interrupting his musings.

“Nothing,” he puts his hands in his pockets. “Just thinking about how perfect the weather is to take Mrs. O’Leary out to the beach,”

Annabeth looks up and breathes deep. “Yeah. I know what you mean. I used to take Blackjack for a run when the weather’s like this too. You know how New York winters are,”

“Blackjack?”

“Our horse,”

“Cool,” he responds nonchalantly. He's not surprised. Good to know that even after twelve years Percy is still weird as hell. Who the fuck owns a horse in New York? They probably live upstate, in the suburbs. God, all his friends are gonna be living in the burbs! Nerds. 

As a rule, they only sit in restaurant patios since they tend to get loud when catching up, so when he sees his friends outside the restaurant talking and drinking orange juice (because they don’t drink on weekdays. Again, nerds), he waves at them. Frank waves back.

“The only time I wear something with color and you all are wearing neutral colors. Jesus, I look like a sore thumb,” Nico complains as they reach their spot.

Hazel looks up from her menu and he practically sees her face light up like Christmas day when they were kids. She stands up, excuses herself to get out of the table, and walks towards them.

“Annabeth!” She squeals and almost leaps into her arms. “Oh my god! You’re here! H-how? When?!” She looks at Nico in a mixture of confusion, delight, and concern. The smile he gives her is that of a confirmation that they’re fine, that he has finally put his grievances behind. Hazel smiles at him warmly and hugs Annabeth tight again.

“Hey, Annabeth,” Piper greets. She kisses her cheek. Jason does the same. “When did you get here?”

“About three weeks ago,”

“Do not take this the wrong way but why?” Jason asks.

“We opened a branch here and I flew in to establish west coast clients and you know, spread the word around,” she looks at Frank and grins.

“Oh yeah! Annabeth, this is Frank, my boyfriend!” Frank startles and stands up to offer his hand to Annabeth, looming over them all. She accepts his hand and feigns surprise to see Hazel with a boyfriend. “Nice to meet you,”

“And those are Leo and Caly,” Nico points at the two across the table. Leo has his arm around Caly who’s smiling at all of them. “We work with Thalia in the show and Caly is a professor at New Rome,”

Leo and Caly both stand up to hug Annabeth. “Ooh, huggers!” She squeaks but hugs back. “I’m Annabeth. Nice to meet you two!”

“Nico, you didn’t tell me you have all these gorgeous friends! Where did you even hide them? I only saw you with the twins before,” Leo wonders.

“They’re around,” he answers cagily. Leo is his friend and not that he didn’t want to share the reason as to why he suddenly has all these friends, it’s just that he doesn’t want to recall the shit that happened before. 

Leo gives him a knowing look and doesn’t press the issue any further. He’s a good friend.

They sit at a bigger table now. A huge upgrade from the one small table for Frank, Hazel, and Nico when they started this tradition a few years ago. Whichever side Nico faces, someone he cares about sits there and he loves it. It’s loud, messy, they’re eating way too much food, and he’s already regretting the fourth croissant he ate, but he won’t change a single thing. 

Well, an additional chair or two won’t hurt anyone, right?

This is his family and he’s glad to be surrounded by their warmth and laughter.

He leans on Annabeth’s shoulder beside him, feeling a little bit sentimental, and rests his head on her shoulder, and she, probably a muscle memory from how much they used to do this as kids, wraps her arm around him, brushes his hair away from his face and plays with it. It’s ridiculously domestic.

“Heads up, paparazzi across the street. 11 o’clock,” Annabeth whispers to him. He perks up, searching for a guy with probably a huge ass lens or something. He doesn’t find any. 

“I don’t see any,” he admits.

“You see that white SUV over there?” Nico subtly searches the car with his eyes. “You see it?”

“Uh-huh,”

“In the corner of the hood,”

He squints his eyes, to hell with being subtle. “I still don’t see any,”

“Trust me, he’s there,”

“How are you still good at this?” He whispers back.

“Hm, I dated a broadway actor and an SNL member a long time ago,”

Nico’s eyes widened. “Woah, really? I never imagined you with someone else at all! I thought you were with Percy all these years,”

“Oh god no. We broke up for a year and a half before getting back together again. It was… a great learning curve. He dated this girl named Rachel, she was cool. She was one of my bridesmaids,” she plants a peck on his forehead. “What about you? How many people have you dated?”

Shit. He nibbles on the dry skin of his finger and looks up at her. He’s 29, for fuck’s sake, why is he already behaving like a child caught in a lie? “I, uh, haven’t dated any,” Annabeth stops stroking his hair and hovers her fingers by his temples. “I mean, I’ve had a few partners,” Ha! A few, my ass. “Hazel even caught me a few times with some. She still thinks they were my boyfriends. Don’t tell her anything, please. I don’t want her to worry,” He looks at his boots. “I almost tried dating last year but he stood me up,”

“Oh, Nico,” she says softly, frowning.

“What are you guys talking about?” Jason interrupts.

“Nothing!” He replies, sitting upright immediately.

The story of how Leo accidentally burns Caly’s kitchen distracts Annabeth from Nico’s revelation. They don’t discuss it anymore.

  
  


“Nico, what the fuck is this?” Shayne shoves her phone in Nico’s face. He squints and pulls himself back to look at the screen properly

“Oh that,” Nico grins warily. “Sur...prise?”

Shayne groans dramatically and massages her temples. “Why?”

“It’s fine! Annabeth’s cool with it! And I swear her husband doesn’t have any problems at all! You don’t have to release a statement about it, I swear!”

She breathes an exasperated huff and puts her hands on her hips. “What do you mean ‘you don’t have to release a statement’? Have you read what Freddie Langdon has written about you two? About your friend?” She gives her phone again to Nico which he frantically accepts. “And why the fuck are you wearing a matching ring?! Cheating and secretly married are two different issues to address, Nico.”

“So we’d,” Nico is careful when he says the next word, “match?”

Shayne’s face scrunches and she drops her head on the table making it thunk. It sounds painful but she did not wince so she’s probably fine.

“Would you feel better if I tell you I almost didn’t do it because I thought of you?” He gives her a large grin even though she didn’t lift her head.

“You did it anyway,” 

“That is true,” he laughs nervously.

“Read the damn article, Nico,”

“Okay,” he purses his lips in concentration and clicks the screenshot of the article.

“Oooh shit,” he whispers. Shayne lifts her head from the table and sits straight.

“Nooo!” she gasps sarcastically.

“Oh my god, I fuckin’ swear this wasn’t my intention!”

“Of course it wasn’t. Nobody intends for _that_ to happen,”

“We just want to mess with the paparazzi, I swear!” Nico is sweating bullets now. He paces around Shayne’s office, the heels of his boots loud on the vinyl floor. “This isn’t going to affect Annabeth’s firm, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know, at least I don’t think so, reckon her clients won’t care about Hollywood drama and all, but I have to meet with her PR team if you both are planning to give a statement addressing the issue _._ I highly suggest you do. In fact, I _insist_ you do. So far you’re still getting offers for auditions and roles, but who knows how large of a blow this was for her,”

He bites his nail, breaking the tip this time. He removes the broken part with his teeth. He pulls too hard and his nail bed bleeds a little.

“Shitshitshitshit. I need to call Annabeth,”

“You do that,”

Nico pulls his phone out and dials Annabeth’s number. She doesn’t answer.

“Fuck! She won’t answer!”

“She’s probably having the same meeting with her people,”

“Shit, Shayne, what do I do?!”

“Calm down, calm down for me, Nico. Breathe,” she runs to Nico and coaxes him to breathe with her, “good, that’s it. One more time. Great. Now, text her or leave her a message that you want to talk to her. I’ve already sent her secretary an email, I’m just waiting for a response,”

“Oh my god, Shayne,”

“Are you okay now?” Shayne walks away to get a bottle of water from her mini-fridge. She gives it to him. He finishes it in four large gulps.

“I don’t know, I guess?”

“Good,”

“I’m gonna do whatever you say from now on, I promise,”

Shayne rolls her eyes and smirks at him. She crosses her arms. “I’ve heard that speech a thousand times. It’s fine, it’s my job. I’m just frustrated you never said anything. We could’ve done something to contain the situation if you were just honest,”

“I promise, I’ll text you every time we go out. Better yet, let me tell you now because it’s gonna happen again,” He walks back to Shayne’s desk and sits at one of the chairs in front. “We have brunch every Friday, me, Hazel, Frank, and sometimes Leo and his girlfriend, Caly. She’s a professor at UNR. Jason and Piper just started coming with us and Annabeth will too until she leaves… I don’t know when she’ll leave. She said she only has about a week left,”

“Okay, that’s good, at least Dottie and I can prepare something just in case,”

Nico bites his nail again, this time his left index finger. He stops when he starts breaking the tip and looks down on it. Nasty. He wipes the spit on it on his jacket. He pulls out his phone and shoots Annabeth a text.

 **Me**  
Hey, I’m sorry I roped you into this **10:21**  
Call me when you’re done **10:21**  
Please **10:21**

His phone rings. He almost drops it when he answers.

“Hello, Annabeth, I am _so_ sorry--”

_“Uh, no. Hi, Nico. It’s Will. You didn’t get back to me the other day, so I thought, why not ask you today since it’s Saturday. Anyway, can we have lunch today?”_

Nico tips his head back and closes his eyes, praying for strength. Now is not the fucking time, Will! He has a fuckton of problems that need solving ASAP. 

“Yeah, hi, no. I can’t right now. I’m busy and I have a fuckton of things I have to sort out, ‘kay?” he says rapidly in a sharp voice. He knows he’s being a dick but now is _literally_ not the fucking time.

_“Uh, yeah, sorry. What about dinner? Can you do dinner?”_

“No, Will! Now is not the fucking time, god!” He growls at the phone and hangs up on him. 

Nico puts his phone down and rests his head on his open palms. He sucks in a breath and tries to call Annabeth again. She doesn’t answer. Fuck!

He runs his hands through his hair, pulling the strands by the handful. It makes his eyes sting. _I guess this is the end then. Great. Real fucking great, Nico. You just got your friend back and you pulled her immediately into this mess. What a great fucking friend you are! You should get a fucking award._

“Hey, hey, stop that! I know that look! I’ve seen that look too many times on my girlfriend’s face. I know what’s going on in your mind!” Shayne rounds the table to crouch in front of him and holds his face in her hands. They’re warm. “I know you’re not going to be magically fine if I tell you not to worry, but it’s okay, you didn’t know. Your friend is going to be fine. She looks tough, she’ll pull through. She has to be if she’s working in a male-dominated industry, right?” She pinches his cheeks. “From what I heard she founded her firm with that Crawford guy when she was still 27. She’s clearly capable so this’ll be like a pebble in her shoe,”

Nico doesn’t meet her eye, embarrassed of his behavior and ashamed of being babied again. Why does this always fucking happen?!

“Don’t worry, okay? You have me, my job is to fix things like this. Trust me,” Nico nods his head as he covers one of Shayne’s hands with his own. She ruffles his hair and gives him a quick, tight hug. “I’ll do whatever I can to help her.”

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

“Don’t mention it, kid. Just tell me first if you’re planning to pull shit like this again, ‘kay?” Nico nods. “Good.”

“Can I go home now?” He asks after a while. 

“Yup, you can.” Shayne gathers the scattered papers on her desk and dumps them in her drawer. “If you don’t want to be alone, you can hang around here if you want,”

“No, I’ll just go. Don’t want to get in your hair. I’m going to take Mrs. O’Leary for a walk,”

“Okay. Call me if you need anything, alright? Or any of your friends. I’m sure they’d be willing to help,”

“Okay,” Nico rises from his seat and shuts the door gently behind him. He walks with his head down, avoiding as many people as he can as he walks to his bike. Before he takes Mrs. O’Leary out, he slaps a surgical mask on his face, glasses, and baseball cap on his head to avoid recognition. He also wears something with a neon (thanks Leo!) to throw them off. He’s had enough paparazzi for now. 

Mrs. O’Leary whines when they go back after only 30 minutes of walking. She only stops fussing after Nico gives her treats.

When his phone vibrates a few hours later, he almost dives from the kitchen to the couch, stubbing his toe in the process. 

**Annabeth**  
Hi, sorry I couldn’t take your calls.  
I was in a meeting **19:02**  
My secretary has already responded to your manager. They  
should be meeting tomorrow with my PR team **19:03**

 **Me**  
I’m sorry for this mess **19:04**  
I really am **19:04**

 **Annabeth**  
No, it’s not your fault! It’s theirs for  
writing shit without confirming anything first **19:05**  
Don’t think about it too much, okay? 😊 If you’re worried  
about Percy, don’t worry. I can handle him. I know he’ll just  
laugh this off. **19:06**

 **Me**  
I’m not worried about him, I’m worried about  
your business **19:07**  
But thanks Annabeth **19:08**

 **Annabeth**  
Don’t mention it 😊 **19:08** **  
** My firm will be fine I assure you. **19:09**

 **Me**  
Are you gonna be at the meeting tomorrow? **19:09**

 **Annabeth**  
I can’t. I have to meet a client. **19:09**  
Why, are you gonna be there? **19:10**

 **Me**  
I don’t know. If Shayne wants me there she’ll probably  
call me **19:11**

 **Annabeth**  
Okay. **19:11**

Nico tosses his phone back on the couch, relief washing over him. At least he didn’t fucked up their renewed friendship. His acting career can go fuck itself if it meant he get to keep Annabeth as his friend.

Nico chuckles to himself. He doesn’t know what to feel if he’s being honest. He was so worked up today that he wasted the whole day thinking about what he’d done and Annabeth wasn’t even a tad bit upset about it. It was like that time he accidentally saved a picture he edited on their computer when he was 10. He was so scared his dad would see the damn photo that he spent every waking hour thinking about how to undo what he did. He deleted the photo in the end. His dad didn’t even know that they had that lion photo. He spent a whole week thinking about how he ruined something but his dad hadn’t even noticed.

He’s sure there’s a lesson behind it but he couldn’t be bothered to analyze it. One thing is for sure though, he won’t be doing another stunt like this _ever_ without discussing it with Shayne beforehand.

  
  


“Hey, sorry I snapped at you a few days ago. You won’t even believe the _shit_ I was in that time. Anyway, it’s done so I’m kind of free today. Wanna hang out?”

 _“Um, I’m kind of busy right now, to be honest. We have a test,”_ Will answers. There’s something in his voice that Nico couldn’t point out. He ignores it. 

“I thought you said you never study the day before a test?”

_“I usually do but this subject demands more time than the others. Do you mind if I hang up now? I really need to finish this,”_

“Aw, come on, a few hours away from your books won’t be that bad, right?”

“I don’t know,” Nico can hear the fatigue in his voice. If he doesn’t get Will away from his books even for an hour or two he’s positive he’d collapse tomorrow. _“I still have to meet Katie after this. It’s our turn in internal medicine tomorrow and I don’t have the charts yet,”_

Okay, that’s it, he’s kidnapping Will. “An hour tops, I promise. You don’t even have to get out of your apartment. I’m in the area, just buzz me in. I’ll bring food. I won’t take no for an answer. You sound like you haven’t eaten yet.” Nico beelines to the self-order kiosks in McDonald’s. He orders a bunch of food (for Cecil and Lou Ellen too), pays, and leaves.

Will sighs a heavy sigh on the other line. _“Fine,”_ he relents.

“Great, I’m only two blocks away,”

 _“Just text me,”_ and he hangs up. Nico looks at his phone before shrugging and slides his phone back to his pocket.

He parks his car and walks straight to the door. He waits for a while to see if anybody’s going out before finally giving up and texting Will.

 **Me**  
I’m here **13:49**

He taps his foot while waiting, the paper bag getting heavier in his arms. 

**WILHELM!!! 🥵**  
wait **13:51**

The door buzzes and clicks. Nico pushes in and enters the building.

The building is new, he observes, and clearly expensive based on the security system and the crystal chandelier hanging above the receiving area. It’s the kind of apartment a sensitive trust fund baby would get; fancy but not obnoxiously luxurious. The one that says, ‘I’m rich, but I give a huge amount of money in charity every year’.

 **Me**  
What room number are you? **13:53**

 **WILHELM!!! 🥵** **  
** 406 **13:56**

 **Me**  
Omw **13:56**

Nico smirks and jogs to the empty elevator. He clicks 4 and waits. It dings a few seconds later to a large, stark white hallway with gray vinyl flooring. The whole floor looks amazing with its clean walls and gray floor. He looks up, trying to find 406 when he realizes he’s on the other side as the room nearest to him says 413. He whispers a curse and goes back to the elevator.

Will's door is the only one with any sorts of Halloween decoration on their side of the building so he doesn’t really have a hard time finding it (also there’s Cecil M. by the door). He knocks and waits. He hears shuffling and a sound of something colliding with a table inside and the door opens. Will is wearing dark green cargo shorts and a plain white v-neck shirt. He looks very handsome in it.

“Hey,” Nico greets cheerily. “Aren’t you gonna invite me in?” Will’s hand braces the door frame, his body blocking Nico’s view of the inside. Nico tries to look over Will’s shoulder but the man is just too damn tall. “I brought food!” He lifts it.

Will looks at the bag. “I can see that,”

Nico shuffles the bag around his arms so he could take a look at his watch. It’s already two-ten in the afternoon and he’s hungry. “Hey, I’ve only got an hour of your time, invite me in so we can eat. I’m starving,” he demands.

Will’s face is devoid of any emotions that it’s quite unnerving. He meets his eyes, unwilling to back down from the staring competition they’re having, until Will breaks eye contact, sighs, and moves away from the door. The universal sign of ‘get in’.

This subject, whatever it is, is really taking a toll on him, huh?

Nico heads straight to the kitchen and starts getting stuff from the bag and placing them on the counter. “I don’t know what you and your friends want so I just got a bunch of Big Mac, chicken nuggets, and a bag of fries. Like, a fuckton of fries. It’s been three weeks since I’ve had one of these, so I’m stacking up trans fats,” he giggles and opens Will’s cupboards, looking for a bowl to put the fries in. “Where are they, by the way?”

A flomp a few feet behind him and Will says, “Cecil’s out. Lou Ellen isn’t here,”

Nico rolls his eyes, his back still on Will. “Uh, duh, that’s why I’m asking.” He puts the last of the ketchup packets on the small plate he got from Will’s drying rack and delivers it to the living room where Will is. He goes back to grab the burgers and chicken nuggets, then does one more trip for the fries and drinks. 

“Here we go,” he says. “Let’s eat!”

Will, with a heavy arm, grabs a box of chicken nuggets and puts them on his lap, not making any attempts to open it. Nico looks at him as he unwraps his burger and bites a big chunk off of it. He chews enthusiastically. “Mm, it’s been so long!” Will scoffs but remains tight-lipped.

Finally, after what feels like an hour, Will opens the box. He lifts one nugget close to his face, inspecting it, and drops it back in the box. He groans as he puts the box back on the stack of chicken nuggets in front of him.

Nico has had enough. “Okay, what the fuck,” he wraps his half-eaten burger and tosses it to the side.

“What?” Will asks dryly.

“Are you gonna eat or not?”

“No offense, but I could already feel my arteries clogging just by looking at these,” Will gestures at the food like they’ve personally offended them, like Nico has personally offended him.

“Yeesh, is fast food not good enough for your rich ass? Do you want to order something else, my lord?” he asks sarcastically.

“Don’t be a dick,”

“Then why the fuck didn’t you say anything earlier?” He asks, a fake smile on his face and voice too sweet. “I could’ve bought whatever the fuck if it doesn’t suit your delicate tastebuds,”

“Why the fuck would I do that? You’re the one who insisted you come over,”

“You could’ve told me to fuck off if you don’t want me here, Will. You had plenty of time for that,”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll make sure to do that next time,”

Irritated, Nico stands up and grabs the nearest trash he sees and tosses boxes after boxes in it.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“What does it fucking look like? I’m throwing shit out,”

“Stop. You’re wasting food and money. If you’re so adamant to get rid of them, at least pack them properly and give them to the homeless.”

Nico stops and glares at him. Will’s fucking right, but he won’t give him the satisfaction of making him change his mind.

He starts opening boxes of chicken nuggets and shoving handfuls of fries in them and stuffing them in his backpack. It’s mostly empty except for a towel and a shirt inside so he reckons it’s fine even if they smell like oil and fried potatoes later.

Will scrunches his face and ruffles his hair disgruntledly. “Stop, stop!” Nico does. “Sit down,” he orders. Nico doesn’t follow.

Will reaches out for one of the chicken nuggets and stuffs it in his mouth. He chews for a long time before swallowing it. He picks up one of the fries on the surface of the coffee table, dips it in the ketchup, and takes a bite. 

Nico doesn’t say anything but he’s still red in the face, fuming. This fucking guy. Seriously, what the fuck is his problem? He brought him food, rescued him from his mind-numbing lesson, and kept him company! He’s not expecting anything, not even a ‘thanks’, but holy hell, not attacking your guest is _the least_ a person could fucking do!

“There, I finished one. You happy now?” Will still doesn’t look like _anything_ but Nico can now see a scrunch in his eyebrows and the slightest movement in the corner of his lips that almost looks like a frown.

“Not even the fucking slightest,” His own face is more expressive, that’s for sure. Will has eaten three chicken nuggets and _two_ french fries, that’s not enough at all. He’s certain Will hasn’t eaten anything at least since last night based on the state of his sink. There was only one small plate drying in the rack and it wasn’t even wet. The cupboards hardly had any food in it and the trash was empty. So with that, it’s either he’s an extremely tidy person or he’s stressed the hell out of his mind, and based on the state of his room from literally all the times they’ve facetimed, Nico is pretty confident it’s the latter.

He decides to message Lou Ellen for good measure.

Nico clicks his tongue before stuffing his phone back into his pocket and sits down on the loveseat. Will is now eating his _fifth_ (!!) french fry.

He needs to calm down, he tells himself. If Lou Ellen was telling the truth then Will lied to him. He wasn’t studying, he was _moping_ because he did bad. He shouldn’t have yelled at Will earlier.

Nico rubs his forehead and takes small, deep breaths. He looks at Will again, now sipping on his coke, and clears his throat. Will turns his eyes to him. A faint pulse of vexation still thrums under his skin, but he suppresses it. He has to apologize now. 

“Hey, um,” he clears his throat again. “Sorry, I… didn’t know what you were going through. I… didn’t know you were upset,” Will raises an eyebrow in question.

Nico fidgets on the loose thread in the corner of the seat. “I just talked to Lou Ellen, she said you just finished your exams,” He just keeps on messing up, huh? Just going and going. “You know you can tell me to fuck off, right? You didn’t have to indulge me,” Will places his coke back on the table. “I don’t know how important that exam was but I’m sure you’ll do fine next time.”

Will’s face scrunches. “What the fuck do you mean?” He asks.

“Your pharmacology exam, dude. She said it was hard,”

Will shrugs. “I got 89% on that,”

Wow, brag much? “Then why are you so piss--” he raises his voice but remembers that he shouldn’t be mad. He grunts at himself and tries again. “Why are you pissed?”

Will stands up and looks at him like couldn’t believe Nico doesn’t know the answer to his question. Will opens his mouth as if to say something. He closes it again. The faint pulse slowly turns into a boil. “Wha-- are you serious? You seriously have no idea why?”

“If you would just tell me then I would know,” He retorts.

Will mumbles something unintelligible. He has his lips on a thin line. He composes himself before speaking. “What am I to you, Nico?”

“What?” 

“It’s a simple question; what am I to you? Last time, I asked you ‘what are we’, you didn’t give a shit. Now, I ask you this. Surely you have a more concrete answer than ‘I don’t know’ now?”

Nico blinks at him and purses his lips, irritation clears and is replaced by confusion. He slowly stands up to level with Will’s eyes. There are a lot of things running inside his head, not even one the right response Will is after. “I honestly don’t know what to tell you that isn’t sarcasm,”

“Oh my god,” Will groans, his voice muffled by his hands over his face. “Why does it have to be--” He rubs his eyes with his fingers. “ _Ugh,_ doesn’t matter. Fuck it,” he strides towards Nico, taking his face in his hands, and kisses him hard.

“Mmf,” Nico gasps in the kiss. What the shit? This isn’t how he thought things would go. They were only supposed to eat and, and watch TV, and… hang out, maybe make out on the couch, do a little groping.

He pulls his face away but Will has his hair gripped tight in his hand, all he could do is push back against it.

Will must have noticed he isn’t kissing back. He lets go of Nico’s hair. “What the fuck,” Nico says softly the moment his lips are free. He was supposed to instigate things

Will ignores him and kisses him again, gently this time. Nico finally kisses back. “Why are you here, Nico?” Another kiss. They’re still too close, his whole body surrounded by Will’s heat. He suppresses a shiver.

“I… I wanted to see you,” Nico answers, unable to restrain himself from telling the truth.

“Why,” he says in a statement that demands an answer.

“I… I don’t know,”

“You’re lying,”

“No. I’m not,”

“Tell me the truth, please,” Will cradles the back of his head and kisses his cheek, his jaw. Feather-light pecks that send electricity down his spine and into his groin. He instinctively presses his legs together to tame the excited stirring within his boxers.

“Will,”

“The truth, Nico,”

“I… don’t know,” he admits.

Will’s face twists to what can only be described as pain. It dissipates as fast as it has appeared.

“Okay,” Will says, his voice strained. He regards Nico with intensity before closing his eyes and letting go, stepping away from him, taking his warmth away. “Okay. You know why I wanted to talk the other day? I wanted to tell you that I like you. Hell, I might even love you. And I want to tell you the truth. I know who you are, Nico. Or at least, I knew who you were even before I even saw you in that fucking Johnny’s a year ago. We’ve already met, did you know that? Well, clearly not since you did not recognize me. You were the one who told me to do what I want. To follow my dreams instead of being a clone of my dad. You inspire me to be what I am today. I owe it all to you.

I thought I would never see you again. I knew you were still here, but I didn’t want to show my face to you until I’ve accomplished something. Imagine my surprise when you asked me to bring you a trash bag for-- ”

Nico’s phone plays Queen’s Bicycle Race, his ringtone for Thalia. She doesn’t call him for socializing, she has Reyna for that, so this is about work. “I-I have to get that,” he says softly. Nico lets out a broken sigh and hurriedly takes his phone out to answer it. “Hello?”

_“Yeah, hi. I know it’s Sunday but I want to talk to you about this scene on page 8, the one with the car dealer? Reyna and I want to expand that. It would only take an hour or two tops.”_

“O-okay, I’m on my way,”

_“Great. See you in a few,”_

Nico looks at his phone before sliding it back to his pocket, anything to give him more time before looking back at Will.

Eventually, he runs out of things to look at. He brushes invisible lint off his shirt and carefully looks up. Will is still looking at him, his hands on his sides, waiting for him to turn his attention to him again.

“I have to go,” he says quietly.

“Okay,” Will answers without any protests.

“I’ll be back, they only need me for--”

“It’s fine, Nico. You don’t need to explain yourself,” Nico is about to open his mouth but something in Will’s expression says he’s done talking. 

Nico slings his bag over his shoulder. He takes one more look at Will who moves to the kitchen, his back on him.

“I’ll be back,” he says again, more of a promise to himself than Will, and leaves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what Nico's ring looks [like](https://i.etsystatic.com/7004894/r/il/51d3d5/1891272376/il_794xN.1891272376_ggfe.jpg) and these are Annabeth's rings ([engagement](https://i.etsystatic.com/10653710/r/il/f90565/1597101475/il_794xN.1597101475_1h27.jpg) & [wedding](https://i.etsystatic.com/21890738/r/il/9379f3/2143321344/il_794xN.2143321344_ayws.jpg))
> 
> And lastly, Nico's [outfit](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/gettyimages-1156190211.jpg) courtesy of James McAvoy's paparazzi photo(??)
> 
> Okay, so I got a job recently and this job is gonna be pretty taxing so I _miiight_ be late uploading Chapter 21 next week. I've been unemployed for 13 months now so it'll be a hell of an adjustment period for me. Thanks for understanding!  
> 
> 
> Tell me what you [think](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/ask)!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico doesn’t come back.
> 
> Of course he doesn’t. Why would he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao
> 
> I hope this is coherent. I'm sorry.

Nico doesn’t come back.

Of course he doesn’t. Why would he?

But that doesn't mean he never waited. 

When the clock strikes 10 and his front door remains silent, he stands up from beside the fridge where he was sitting, waiting, brushes dust off his ass, and walks straight to his room, locking it behind him.

Cecil is staying at Billie’s tonight, but his building is up to date with its security system so it doesn’t matter if he locks his front door or not. If a stranger somehow wanders inside, they could grab whatever they want. He doesn’t care.

And if Nico changes his mind and comes in the middle of the night, he can let himself in.

His phone blares the shrill sound of techno music that he immediately grabs his other phone from his nightstand to turn it off. He fucking hates his alarm but damn if it doesn’t do its job well. It’s just so fucking loud!

He wants to sleep some more but it’s already 4:30 AM, he has to get ready for his rotation.

He opens his eyes and is greeted by Carrot’s slit pupils and overly long tongue as it licks the aforementioned slit pupils. 

With heavy limbs, he groans as he stretches and looks around the room. It’s filthy, he thinks. He’s not a slob but he was never like this unless he got way too preoccupied than usual... which in a sense he is. With all the _new_ things he’s learning from reading gossip magazines and tabloids about Nico, his clinical rotations, and his academics? Yeah, you could say he _is_ way too preoccupied than usual _._

Will throws the blanket off his body and steps out of his room. It’s quiet, deafeningly quiet. He should have taken Billie’s invite to hang out in her house. Had he known what would’ve happened if he stayed, he would’ve gotten in his car and drove off the moment he was done with the test.

In an attempt to distract himself from his thoughts, Will opens the fridge to make breakfast. He grabs some sausages, eggs, and the white rice that’s been in their fridge for about a week now. He picks a small onion, two cloves of garlic, and a few green onions. He’s going to make a simple egg fried rice.

He sniffs the week-old rice, checking if it’s still okay to eat, and sets it aside when he deems it fine. He chops up his onion, garlic, and green onions then heats the pan. In a different bowl, he cracks the egg, sprinkles in some salt and pepper, and beats it until combined. He fries the sausages in a different pan.

Will cooks the eggs first, just enough that it scrambles a little, then adds the onion, garlic, and rice. He pours a little soy sauce, occasionally tasting it to make sure it isn’t too salty. He then removes the sausages from the other pan, chops it up, and adds it to his fried rice. He mixes them together, pressing out some lumps, adds the green onions, and he’s done. 

He transfers his food in a bowl on the counter and hunts down the robot vacuum Michael gave him a few years ago while waiting for his food to cool a little bit. It’s under the loveseat. He reaches under to grab it. The battery is empty, he charges it.

He grabs an orange juice inside the fridge, pours himself a glass, then eats. He should put more vegetables in his food next time.

It’s a heavy meal, yes, but he reckons he won’t have much time to eat later during his rounds so he might as well just fill his stomach with as much protein and carbohydrates as he can. 

He loads the plates, cutlery, and pans in the dishwasher, unplugs the vacuum, and starts them at the same time. He releases the vacuum to do its job and goes back inside his room for a shower.

Growing up, Will has always liked talking to people. He would often wander every time he was out with his grandparents (he had lived with them for a time, just long enough that his parents could graduate high school and jumpstart their careers) asking people stuff, like a nosey goddamn kid that he was. He would ask the bored teenager doing inventory in the grocery, the cashier, the old lady that’s browsing for toilet paper, anyone that would give him a little bit of their time. One time he walked too far his grandmother called the police. He never went out of a store alone again.

It is one of the many attributes he got from his dad that he liked.

It is also one of the reasons why his parents thought showbusiness was perfect for him.

“Hello, Mr. Wilson. I’m just going to ask a few questions, is that alright? Great. Does your chest hurt? What about your stomach?”

There is something therapeutic about interviewing patients, in Will’s opinion. You get to talk to them _and_ help them understand or solve what ails them. He also gets a glimpse of what kind of life they live based on the information they freely give him and the stuff that’s written down on their file. The workaholics, the alcoholics, prescription drug dependants, hard drug enthusiasts, even the healthy ones. One look at their file and a few confirmations from the patient and he’s got an image of them in a stick house doing their imaginary routine.

“Hey, are you done?” Katie asks.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna put this back to the nurse’s station. Why?”

“I was hoping the three of us could get lunch?” There’s hesitation in Katie’s voice. She probably thinks Will would flat out say no. He probably would if it were a year ago.

“Sure,” he says, “one sec.” He jogs to the nurse’s station and places the chart on top of the others. “Let’s go. Where’s Lou Ellen?” They walk to the nearest elevator.

“She’s with Dr. Tamamori but she’ll meet us at the cafeteria,”

“Okay,” the door opens. “After you, Kates” he gestures to the empty elevator. He holds her lower back in reflex and Katie’s ears turn slightly pink.

Katie smirks at him. “Thanks,”

Side by side, they ride together in silence. The elevator music is loud in the enclosed space. 

"So," she gives a light chuckle, "I heard from dad you're seeing someone?"

"Hm?" He looks at her briefly then back to the floor indicator, "Oh yeah. I was,"

"Buuut? I'm sensing a 'but' here,"

"Yeah, I don't know. He walked out on me the other day,"

"Damn, I'm sorry,"

"No, it's fine. Well, it wasn’t, actually, but whatever. He wasn't that into me like I am with him,"

"Still, that must've sucked,"

"It did. It still does,"

She taps his right shoulder, "Hang in there, buddy," he holds her hand in return.

"Thanks,"

Will doesn't let go and they exit the elevator together.

He hasn't heard anything from Nico in about three weeks now and he doesn't expect to ever to anymore. He was ready to spill his guts out to him, even started to, then of course it was cut off short with a suspiciously strategic phone call from work, but not before some of the important bits have come out.

Not that it matters, though. Nico is a grown man and he can do whatever he pleases. If he doesn't want anything to do with him after all that, then fine. He'll move on… eventually. They were never together to begin with, there's nothing to 'move on' from. 

Now, he has more pressing things to do than mope and nurse his broken heart. He has lessons to study, rounds to do, questions to answer, and patients to tend to. He's always been good at this, distracting himself, even when he feels like the earth beneath his feet is ready to crumble, about to swallow him whole. He did it twice, and he can do it once more.

“Ugh, I am swamped!” Lou Ellen pulls a chair out and sits, groaning. “My head hurts. Do you think the nurses will give me paracetamol if I ask for one or should I buy it in the hospital pharmacy? How much is it even?!”

“I dunno, fifteen dollars for a whole bottle?” Katie answers.

“Can I buy just one piece?”

“Probably? I’m not sure,”

“Eh,” Lou Ellen swipes her hand in the air, “I’ll just try with the nurses later.”

“Okay,”

“Or this might just be from hunger. Anyway, what are we having?”

“I dunno, I was hoping the two of you would pick for me,” Will says.

“So if I’m gonna get soup, you’re gonna get soup?”

“Do you want soup?”

“No, but that’s not the point,”

“If you get soup then I’ll probably get soup,”

“God, what happened to you? You get dumped or something?”

Will breathes loudly through his nose and looks at her tiredly. He sees Katie gesturing something to her out of the corner of his eye but he doesn’t acknowledge it.

“Oh shit, really?”

He rolls his eyes and stands up from his seat. “I’m gonna get sandwiches, what do you all want?”

“I want cucumber,” Katie says.

“I want tuna,” Will’s face twists at her choice.

“Tuna? Seriously?”

“It’s good when it’s fresh. You’ve had my homemade tuna spread, Wilhelm. You know it’s good! I learned that shit in fourth grade,”

“You never let me forget,” he turns his back away from them and heads to the counter.

“Hey, wait,” Lou Ellen squeaks and rises from her seat. “I’m coming with you,”

“Sit down, Lou, I got this. How heavy can three sandwiches be?”

“I know. I’m not offering to help, I wanna talk to you about… it,”

Will grabs a tray and their sandwiches. “What about it?” He raises a finger to get the attention of the attendant and ask for three bottles of water.

“I want orange juice,” she says. Will nods. “I thought you were gonna talk to him?”

“Oh, speaking of which, good thing you reminded me,” He looks at her with pinched eyebrows. “Why were you talking to him?”

“I wasn’t!” She shrugs defensively. “I was just asking for pictures of his dog!”

“Yeah I wasn’t talking about his dog. I forgot to mention it ‘cus who wants to talk about being dumped, amirite? But he said something about talking to you three weeks ago. What was that all about?”

“Nothing! I swear!” She fiddles with her fingers, making it run along the handrails like a little child pretending his fingers are a ninja. “He just asked why you were angry at him,”

“And?”

She shrugs again. “I asked him where he was, he said he was in your apartment. Then he asked me about Cecil, I told him we were at Billie’s. He asked why again, I told him we just finished a test in pharmacology--which we did--and that’s it,”

Will regards her friend one more time before huffing and directing his attention to the cashier. He smiles at her, pays, and walks with Lou Ellen back to their table silently. He hands Katie’s cucumber sandwich and bottled water while Lou Ellen grabs her own. He eats in silence.

“Kates, you have to try this!” Lou Ellen offers her sandwich for Katie to try. She doesn’t hesitate to bite a big piece.

“Mm! This is good!” She attempts to wipe the mayonnaise from the corner of her lip, which she misses. Will takes a paper napkin and wipes it for her. She makes a surprised noise and blushes.

Lou Ellen looks at him with wide eyes, like she could not believe he just _did that_. He would laugh if he was in the mood.

“What was that?” She asks.

“She missed, I helped,” he reasons. Lou Ellen squints at him.

Katie clears her throat and drinks her water. “So, tuna sandwich! It’s good,” she lets out a tension-breaking giggle. “You mentioned you know how to make a tuna spread! We’ve been friends for over five years now and this is the first time I’m hearing this,”

“That’s ‘cus I only make it whenever I feel like it, and I’ve only felt like making it twice. It’s easy though, just canned tuna, mayonnaise, pickle relish, onion, pepper, sugar, and salt. Dump your tuna in a bowl, put in a bunch of mayonnaise, it’s up to you really, I just eyeball everything. Then your relish, chopped onion, pepper, salt and sugar. Just to taste. Put it in the fridge and that’s it! Pretty easy, right?”

“Ooh! Imma try that one later. Thanks!”

“No problem. Gimme some ‘kay?”

“Sure,”

“How do you still have energy after all this? I just eat whatever’s in the fridge then pass out,” Will asks, his sandwich almost gone by now.

“Good time management. It’s great, you should try it!”

“No, thanks. I like my routine. Sleep, shower, eat, do school shit, study, shower, sleep. Sometimes I go out,”

Lou Ellen pulls a face. “Your life is so sad,”

“Your mom is sad,”

“Mom jokes, really?” Will shrugs.

“Oh! Nico D’Antonio came out!” Katie yelps, her water dangerously close to spilling on the table. She has her phone in her hands and drops her sandwich on the table. 

Will’s heart pounded immediately, it almost hurt. He glares at Katie’s phone, trying his very best not to reach out and take the phone from her hands. This is the first time in three weeks he’s heard his name. Cecil, bless his soul, figured out Nico came in for a visit the day after he walked out because of the insane amount of fast food in the trash. Combined with Will’s foul mood, it wasn’t that difficult to put two and two together. He cleared the trash and was careful not to mention Nico at all. Cecil is a good bro.

“Who?”

“Nico D’Antonio! You know, that new guy from Purple Grave?” Katie shows her phone to Lou Ellen.

“Ah,” She catches Will’s eye, “Yeah, him. Why what happened?”

“He came out!”

“Came out like gay came out or went-outside-of-his-house came out?”

Katie shoots her a disbelieving look. “Gay came out, duh,” she gives her phone to Lou Ellen.

“Wait, for real?” She grabs it enthusiastically and starts to skim the article. She scans the screen, lifts her eyes to Will, and reads aloud. “Nico D’Antonio, 29, drew flak a few weeks ago after being photographed with former child star-turned-architect Annabeth Chase, who is married to one of Purple Grave’s executive producer’s son and also a former child-star, Percy Jackson. However, fans were surprised when D’Antonio came out just this morning in a tweet. Is this some elaborate infidelity cover-up by Hollywood or is it to keep the buzz running to prevent the cancellation of blah blah blah,”

“Oh wow, I haven’t read the bottom part yet. They’re gonna get cancelled?”

Lou Ellen scans the ‘article’ again, “Nope? But there are rumors of it,”

“Geez, I gotta ask my mom about it. I liked D’Antonio’s character,”

Lou Ellen looks at him again with concern, “Yeah, me too,”

Will crumples his sandwich’s wax paper into a ball and plays with it for a while, throwing up in the air and catching it again. He has to do it since he doesn’t know what to do with his cold and clammy hands. He has to hold something or he’ll grab Katie’s phone and read Nico’s tweet. He knows she’s following him on Twitter, being a fan of the show that she is. 

“Oh shoot, it’s 1:20,” Katie intervenes. “It’s almost time to go back.”

Will stands first, thankful for the reminder that they still have a job to do, and starts clearing away their mess. The girls wait for him by the door while he throws away their garbage and together they start their long trek back to the university hospital.

  
  


“Cecil! Will you get the door, please?!” Will yells as the knocking on their door continues. “Cecil!” he yells again. After three more minutes of knocking, Will has had enough. He stands and yanks his door open, ready to give his roommate a piece of his mind. “Ces--” He looks around, the living area is empty and so is the kitchen. Huh, Cecil must’ve gone to Billie’s. The knocking starts again. “Motherfu--”

Will scratches the back of his head in displeasure after being woken up. “Wait! Jesus fucking Christ, knock some more and you’ll wake the whole fucking floor!” he yells, redirecting his irate to the person behind the door.

“It’s ten in the goddamn evening, what do you-- oh, hey,” he says as he opens the door, his anger instantly diffusing. He gives his guest a look over.

“Hey, sorry to wake you up,”

“No, it’s… fine, what are you doing here, Kates? Kinda late isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but I got food!” She raises the blue thermal bag she’s holding. It’s big and she looks like she’s struggling just by holding it up. He offers his hand to help which she instantly takes.

“Thanks, it’s kinda heavy,”

Will feels the bag in his hands. “Yeah, what’s inside?”

“Food, duh,” she giggles and invites herself in. She removes her shoes and places them on the rack by the door along with her jacket. She heads straight to the kitchen.

“It’s warm,” he says. He’s still feeling the bag.

“Yeah, I went straight here after I finished making those,”

“Why?” Will is still kind of out of it granted that he literally just woke up. He looks at Katie as she makes herself comfortable inside his home. She visited quite a lot before they even started dating and was staying over at least three times a week until last year, so seeing her in the middle of the night in his apartment is bringing back memories, pleasant memories. Plus she’s wearing the silk skirt-shorts thing that he bought her on their second anniversary, flaunting her long, smooth legs. 

She catches him looking at her legs, she smirks but doesn’t call him out to it. “You said you weren’t eating properly,”

“I never said that,”

She looks at him like he just said the most absurd thing ever, “Will, your words were, ‘I just eat whatever’s in the fridge then pass out’,”

“And right now I have leftover lasagna in my freezer,”

Katie opens the freezer, takes out the aluminum tray, and tosses it on the counter. “It’s freezer burned,”

Will feigns shock, “Wha-- really? Oh no,”

Katie huffs a laugh, “Shut up, Will. Just get some bowls and eat the food I brought. I’m getting kinda hungry too so we could share. I have enough for two,”

Will obliges, because he doesn’t feel like arguing any further, and grabs two bowls. He brings them over to the coffee table and gives one to Katie. Katie, in turn, passes him the spoon. She puts a bunch of the stew in his bowl that he doesn’t know the name of. It smells _divine_ and, with an act of betrayal, his stomach growls. He feels himself blush while Katie laughs. “See? You’re hungry.” He murmurs his thanks and starts eating.

Katie’s cooking is one of the things he deeply missed when they broke up. He’s not so bad himself in the kitchen but he certainly needs help sometimes. Cecil cooks, but he’s only _slightly_ better than him in the kitchen. Most of their food comes from Katie or the eatery across the street. And sometimes, when he’s visiting his parents, they let him take home food. 

They used to do this too, eat in the middle of the night. And if this were like those times, they’d make out on the couch after putting away everything and washing the dishes, maybe even more. Then they’d wake up late for school and give up trying to make it to the first class. They would take their time in the morning; kissing, hugging, anything to touch. He’s a very tactile person, something his past lovers liked it very much, including her.

“Do you like it?”

“Hell yeah, I do. What’s this called?”

“Fabada. It’s a Spanish bean stew,”

“Ah,” he says, helping himself with another spoonful. She scoops some more and dumps them in his bowl. “Okay, okay, put some more and I’m gonna burst!”

“No, you’re not,” she giggles.

They talk while finishing their bowl of food, exchanging horror stories from their time in internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics. There weren’t many but it’s plenty enough to make them gag or howl in laughter.

They clear the table when they’re done, Katie putting the container back in her thermal bag and Will washing the bowls and spoons in the sink. There are only a few so he’s done in no time. He wipes them off and puts the bowl back in their place and gives the spoons back to Katie. He’s in the middle of drying the wet spots on the sink when Katie talks.

“Hey, I wanna give you this,” Will turns and Katie’s arm is outstretched, handing him a jar of… mayonnaise?

He takes it and inspects the jar. “What’s this?”

“It’s Lou Ellen’s tuna spread. It’s good, mom liked it,”

“Thanks!” he says excitedly and puts it in the fridge. “So--”

His words are cut off by a kiss, his hands instantly on her hips. Katie crowds into him until he’s kissing back, one of his hands now on the back of her neck, pushing her more into him. His lips still tingling when they part a few moments later.

For a brief moment, he forgets about Nico. He forgets about the pain in his chest that’s been steadily growing for the past three weeks. He forgets about the fight, the confession, the almost sorry look in his eyes. Now, all he sees are Katie’s brown eyes that seem to shine under the artificial lights of his kitchen, and her blonde hair that’s nothing like Nico’s black one. He brushes the hair away from her face and kisses her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3RBn3MG8ms) is Will's alarm. I used to have this song as my alarm and shit if it isn't effective.
> 
> Anyway, I'm too sleepy to add anything so tell me what you think? 😃


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was late.
> 
> I don't think there's any content warning in this chapter but if you find any, please tell me so I can tag it properly. Thanks!

Nico paces around his apartment, clutching his phone in his hands, waiting for a call from Shayne. He did what she wanted, he came out, the paps  _ should _ leave Annabeth alone now, right?

He taps his foot on the floor, tension bleeding from his body in the form of cold sweat.

He almost laughs at how absurd his life is now. This time last year he was in the last stages of editing for the third series of their show, now he's doing PR work to drive away the vultures threatening to devour his friend whom, before all this, he hasn't seen in over a decade.

**Haze**   
I read your announcement. I’m   
very happy for you 🎉🎉  **11:16**   
I’m here if you need anything 😘  **11:17**

**Francis**   
Hey, we’re proud of you  **11:20**   
Talk to us anytime you want  **11:20**

**Piper McLean**  
Nicoooo!!!!! We’re so proud of you!!! **11:20**  
🥰  **11:21**

 **Jace** **  
** love you man  **11:24**

**Annabeth**   
Nico, you know you are under no obligation to   
come out, right?  **11:27**

**Me**   
Yes, I know. And no, I did not do it   
for anybody. I did it for myself.  **11:28**

**Annabeth**   
Good, just making sure this isn’t about   
the paparazzi that are still trailing me  **11:28**   
  
**Me**   
Still?  **11:29**

**Annabeth**   
There are 2 left. I can handle myself if   
things get out of hand  **11:30**

**Me**   
Yeah! Fuck them up with your taekwondo!  **11:31**

**Annabeth**   
I will certainly not do that but   
I could kick shit around to scare them  **11:31**

**Me**   
That’s good but fucking them up is better  **11:32**

**Annabeth**   
Yeah, but not if I don’t wanna get sued  **11:32**

**Me**   
Which you will win cus it’s self-defense  **11:33**

**Annabeth**  
🙄  **11:34** **  
** I love you, Nico **11:35**

**Shayne (manager 👽)**   
Nico, can you come to my office? It’s important  **11:30**

**Me**   
On my way  **11:37**

Nico stuffs his phone back into his pocket, grabs his jacket, and is out of the door in no time.

“We have to stage photos of you with a boyfriend,” She says as soon as Nico enters her office. Nico locks it behind him.

“What, why?”

“People tend to be skeptical about other people coming out unless they see proof.”

“I know you said I was ‘popular’, but I don’t think I’m  _ that _ popular to be given a damn about,”

“You are underestimating stan culture, Nico. I can’t even finish a family dinner without hearing your name from my nieces. You’ve been topping popularity contests on the internet. Five websites named you number one on actors to watch out for!”

Nico scrunches his face in disbelief. “Come on, they do those all the fucking time!”

“Nico, just let me do my job. Your bosses are paying me, you don’t have to pay extra for this. Just take advantage of my services and their money.” She looks at him with exhaustion. She  _ is _ doing her job, and she was right when she said locking himself in his apartment for three weeks without any social media will do good. He cleaned his house, wrote most of the two episodes he’s writing, and even recorded for a horror podcast and a commercial for baby formula. 

Nico chews the inside of his cheeks, making it bleed. “Fine.” He says.

“Great. Do you have someone in mind? Someone willing to keep this a secret. We can offer compensation.”

“Can’t you just choose someone?”

“I can do that, and I  _ have _ someone in mind, but thought I’d ask you first, you know. No matter how good you are, you can’t fake chemistry.” She opens her laptop and the soft clatter of the keyboard fills the room. He almost blurts Will’s name but thought against it. He doesn’t need this kind of mess. Stress flows through Will’s veins and now he wants to add unwanted publicity?

No fucking way.

“Travis Stoll,” he finally says.

“Who’s he?” Shayne asks, not even taking her eyes off her screen. She adjusts her glasses and keeps typing.

“Our production manager. We used to hook up,” he says, deadpanned.

“How long were you hooking up?”

“Three years,” Shayne finally stops typing to look at him. She starts again after a beat.

“What happened?”

“He started dating someone,”

“And you think he’s gonna be fine pretending to be your boyfriend for money?”

The laugh he lets out surprises him. “Are you kidding me? He’d do it for a high five,”

“Oh, that sounds perfect!”

“Hold on, let me call him.” He fishes out his phone and calls Travis. He answers on the second ring.

“‘Sup,”

“Hey, wanna fuck around with the paps?” Nico puts him on speaker.

“Sure.” he agrees without even a hint of hesitation. “Name a time and place. You want me to bring Connor? We could spice things up ten notches! We have some ideas.” A giggle in the background and he knows it’s his twin.

_ Who’s Connor? _ Shayne mouths at him. He reaches out for a pen and a post-it, he writes ‘twin’ and underlines it twice for emphasis.

“I know you bastards have ideas but no, I only need you and I still don’t want a three-way.” Shayne’s face twists, he rolls his eyes. “You sure Noah won’t mind?”

The faint groan in the background makes him smile. Fuck these two. When they were still hooking up, Travis joked that he and Connor could ‘fuck him on both ends’, so to speak. Nico shot that idea down so fast he didn’t even finish the word ‘spit roast’ before Nico’s walking out of their apartment. He knew Connor wasn’t interested but who fucking knew if he changed his mind this time.

“Nah, we broke up a month ago. Said I was too  _ attached _ to Connor that it’s not  _ healthy _ anymore,  _ pssh. _ Can you believe the guy?” A voice in the background yells ‘he sucks!’ Nico stifles a giggle. 

“Yeah.” Shayne slides him a piece of paper with an address, date, and time. “So, um, we’ll do the thing on December 19th, 10 AM in my apartment ”

"Ahh, the holidays. I expect a shower of peppermints, candy canes, and black licorice,"

"Yeah, whatever," Nico gives Shayne his  _ I told you so _ look. 

“Alright. See ya.” Travis hangs up.

Nico slides his phone back to his pocket and clasps his hands. “We have a guy. Now what?”

“Dottie will take care of it. Do you have a picture of this Travis guy? I wanna see if the two of you give a ‘we’re fucking’ vibe ”

Nico sighs an exaggerated one and fishes out his phone again. He scrolls through rows and rows of drunken photos of the three of them and picks one where there’s only him and Travis. “Here.” She takes his phone and hums.

“Oh he’s cute! You look good together.”

“Eh,” he shrugs. “He’s fine, I guess.”

“Is he gay or bi?”

“Pan,” he jerks his head to the side, cracking his neck. 

“I don’t know what that means, I’m just assuming it’s good.”

“It's good.”

Nico learns about Purple Grave's cancellation through Entertainment Weekly’s Twitter account before the email from Reyna and Thalia arrives. It's shocking, to say the least, and disheartening. It may not be his brainchild but he poured his blood and sweat in that show, sometimes even literal (he literally cut his palm once when he, after a bout of hysterics, cuts a page he did not like in the episode he was writing). They did not even think of calling them all for a ‘last’ meeting, an announcement straight from the mouth of their bosses so they won’t wake up in the news that they’re all unemployed.

Nico spends the day on his couch, his dog by his feet, and a glass of chocolate milk in his hand.

  
  


For almost 15 years, Nico has more or less trained himself not to be alone with his thoughts for long periods of time. Thinking is a slippery slope-- one second you're thinking of your favorite raccoon videos, the next you're thinking about all the people you've disrespected and hurt since you were in diapers. He just doesn't have the energy to analyze his faults and shortcomings to the people he's wronged.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't slip once in a while, like what's happening right now.

Will. He promised to come back three weeks ago, but Shayne confiscated his phone right after his meeting with Thalia and Reyna. Then they emailed about coming out for a week straight (heh), weighing all the consequences whether it's worth his career or not. Yesterday, he said he didn’t mind the world knowing. If it ended up destroying his  _ budding  _ career as an actor, so be it. 

The thing is, he could've sent an email explaining his situation but he never bothered to ask for the blond's email, not even Lou Ellen's. He could've used his laptop to open WhatsApp but he registered his number and he has to scan a code through his phone to open it. Facebook's no use either. There were _Wilhelm_ s and _Pardilla_ s but never Wilhelm Pardilla. Nico briefly considered that Will _may_ have given him a fake last name but what purpose would it give him? It’s not like he’s hiding anything. 

Shayne delivered his phone, ending his involuntary confinement, and instructed him to make that tweet. She didn’t leave until she saw Nico’s tweet in her own timeline so Nico didn’t have the chance to message Will. And when it was over, the little worm in his brain told him it’s too late to even message Will about it, that he’s already forgotten about it.

Will’s words have stayed within Nico’s consciousness for the past three weeks. The moment Nico isn’t doing anything, it creeps up in front of his brain, poking around, demanding not to be ignored. Every time he bolts up from where he’s sitting or lying down and does whatever brain-stimulating activity he can, playing video games or typing the same sentence over and over in his episode and deleting them again. Everybody has their ways to cope.

_ I wanted to tell you that I like you. Hell, I might even love you. _

Nico has heard a lot of crazy things in his life including, but not limited to,  _ ‘You should have died instead of her’ _ from his dad and  _ ‘You killed my daughter’ _ from his grandmother when he was 3 years old (his earliest memory). But what Will said? That might have been the craziest. If not, then it’s certainly at the top. 

Isn’t that grand?

He just doesn’t believe it.

_ You were the one who told me to do what I want. To follow my dreams instead of being a clone of my dad. _

Nico wondered what that meant. When Will told him those words it didn’t register what he told him until the next day when he was in his sleep shorts eating the driest, blandest cereal known to man. He choked on his corn flakes and had tears streaming down his face when he was done coughing his lungs out.

Did that mean he knew Will’s dad or was it just the generic find-your-own-self bullshit people say to other people to cut the employment competition in half? Where did he even meet Will? He’s sure he’d remember if he ever meets someone as tall and as handsome as Will. Unless he looked like a twerp that time of course.

He needs to apologize to Will.

But first, he needs to know where he is.

**Me**   
Hey, are you with Will?  **17:15**

**Lou Ellen**   
Yeah, why?  **17:18**

**Me**   
Where are you right now?  **17:19**

**Lou Ellen**   
Still on campus but almost   
done for the day. Again, why?  **17:21**

**Me**   
I have to talk to Will  **17:21**

**Lou Ellen**  
🤨 **17:22**

 **Me**  
I need to talk to him **17:22**  
Please? **17:22**

 **Lou Ellen**  
🙄 **17:23**  
Fine **17:24**  
I’ll make an excuse so he’ll stay in school **17:24**

 **Me**  
No  **17:24**  
I mean, anywhere’s fine  
I’m not picky  **17:25**

**Lou Ellen**   
I’m not doing this for you okay?  **17:26**   
I know what happened and   
although I love your dog, you’re on   
thin ice.  **17:26**

**Me**   
That’s fair  **17:27**   
For what it's worth, I’m sorry  **17:27**

**Lou Ellen**   
Tell him that yourself  **17:28**

**Me**   
I will  **17:28**

**Lou Ellen**   
I’ll text you the place  **17:29**

**Me**   
Thanks  **17:29**

Nico decides to scrub his bathroom clean while anxiously waiting for Lou Ellen’s text. He busts out his acid and toilet cleaner then starts scrubbing the counters and sink. He wipes the mirror, soaks the toilet and bathtub with an insane amount of toilet cleaner, and crouches on the floor, brushing the grout with an old toothbrush.

He has just finished unplugging the drain of his bathtub when his phone pings. He quickly removes his gloves and unlocks his phone.

**Lou Ellen**  
Peter’s Panini, 6:15  **18:06**

Nico looks at his watch. Shit. It’s 6:06

**Me**   
Thank you.  **18:06**

**Lou Ellen**   
Do not disappoint me  **18:06**   
And please send me a pic of Mrs. O’Leary  **18:07**

**Nico**   
[image attachment:pink_bows.jpeg]  **18:07**

**Lou Ellen**  
❤️ **18:08**

Nico hurriedly changes his clothes and almost trips on his way out. He opts to take his bike to navigate the streets faster since it’s past six and everybody’s scrambling to go home. 

Nico is going to apologize for not coming back. That’s the first one on his list. He is going to apologize and they are finally going to talk. He’s positive nobody’s going to interrupt them this time since they just axed their show so he’s technically unemployed. Unemployed means nobody’s going to call them unless they’re offering them a job. Oh god, what if somebody calls and it’s important? No. He is going to stay and they are going to talk. If Will wants to talk about feelings, then they’ll talk about feelings.

He arrives at the place with three minutes to spare. He quickly parks his bike between two scooters and removes his helmet. He fixes his hair in the mirror and brushes his shirt with his hands. He takes one last look in the mirror and leaves the parking lot.

The restaurant has its own parking space so walking up to it doesn’t take much time. That, and he’s walking fast. He stops by a red van when he sees Will, standing outside, talking to a blonde woman. Katie, from what he remembers. They’re still in the middle of conversation so he reckons it’s rude to just come up and interrupt, and if his memory serves him right, they’re in the same group as Lou Ellen in their clinical rotations.

Will glances down at his watch and he does the same. It’s 6:20. He looks around and goes back to talking with Katie. Nico is still waiting behind the red van. He steps out from behind the van when he thinks that they’re done only to stop in his tracks again when Katie leans in, Will’s hand on her hips, and kisses the corner of Will’s mouth. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ears and pinches her cheek, then she walks away.

Too stunned to move, he stays where he is until Will does another look around and sees him. “Oh, hey. Didn’t see you there.” Will says.

Nico’s mind is going so fast that he’s having a hard time to focus anymore. He feels like his head is underwater, Will’s voice muffled by the liquid in his ears. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying to clear his mind.

“Uh, hi. I was, uh, around.” 

“Cool.” Will looks at him then up at the awning. “Do you wanna sit?” He gestures at the table beside him.

“Sure.”

They sit in silence for a while, avoiding each other’s eyes. Will has his hands clasped on the table, still pursing his lips, while Nico looks down on his own intertwined hands.

The sky is tinted with hues of purple, pink, and orange. The air blows cold and Nico is starting to regret his decision to get out of the house with only two layers of clothes. He should have worn his jacket on top of his sweater.

“I heard you came out,” Will starts. “Congrats on that.”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks.”

Silence.

Seems like they do this quite a lot.

“I’m sorry about Purple Grave,” Will says again after a long moment of silence.

Nico looks up at him. He finally found out what show he was writing for, huh. He must’ve seen him in there too. “Thanks. Me too.”

Another bout of silence and Nico is getting sick of this. Fuck!

“Why are we here, Nico?”

Will has only called him ‘Nico’ a couple of times, always Neeks or Robin like the first time they’ve met or whatever it is that pops in his mind.

But he did not come here to wallow in self-pity. He’s here to apologize.

“Did Lou Ellen set this up?” He breathes in deep. “I swear to god if Lou Ellen--”

“No! No. It’s me. It’s my idea. She just helped.” Nico wets his lips, wishing he has a glass of water right now. “I… I wanted to apologize.” Will only blinks at him so he continues and never stops until he runs out of breath. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior last time. I told you I’ll come back but clearly I didn’t. You asked several times if we could talk but I never gave you the chance. Then I got mad and walked out on you on the only opportunity we had.”

“Why do I get the feeling that’s rehearsed?”

“It’s not.”

Will shrugs. “It’s not sincere. Not at all.”

“What do you mean not sincere? That’s one of the most sincere apologies I’ve ever given!”

Will’s voice has a hint of anger when he speaks. “Then I pity the people around you. And you. Because you clearly don’t even know what you’re apologizing for. I don’t give a fuck that you left. It’s your job. What am I supposed to do, tie you in a chair? Gag you?” He stands up, panting. He stays there for a few moments until the anger fades in his eyes and is replaced by something akin to pain. “I asked you about us, Nico. You and me. All I want is a definite answer. I will do anything you want, just please, tell me what you want from this. From us.” 

This isn’t what Nico was expecting when he told Lou Ellen he needed to talk to Will. He was expecting he was gonna do most of the talking. But the situation has changed and he’s freaking out again.

There’s no denying it anymore. It’s clear as day. Will has feelings for him and he can’t pretend it’s not there anymore.

Despite what is happening in front of him, his mind wanders. He remembers Jason, back when they were still young, back when he was nineteen. The night before he left for Chicago, or New York, or wherever the fuck. The time he said the things he can no longer remember now. Jason told him he loved him, that what he felt was true and not… what Nico thought it was. Nico never felt the same.

And it’s happening all over again.

He doesn’t meet Will’s eyes when he speaks, afraid he’ll lose his nerve and answer  _ I don’t know  _ just like what he’d always been doing. He can’t go back and make things right with Jason, but Will deserves the honesty and kindness he deprived Jason. “Nothing.”

“So you mean, all those late-night visits, making out, having sex, that’s nothing for you?”

Nico flinches. “Yes.”

“Why?” Will demands firmly.

“Because I don’t like the responsibility, okay?” Nico’s voice is loud when he looks up at him.

Will sits back on his chair, comes closer and hisses, “What responsibility are you talking about? I’m not a toddler that needs constant attention!”

“Because if  _ this _ happens,  _ I _ have to prioritize you. I don’t want to take advantage of you and what we have!”

“What the  _ fuck _ are you talking about?! You do realize that I’m fucking twenty-five, right?” Will says, emphasizing his words with his hands. “What, you’re afraid you’re taking advantage of me because I love you?”

“Yes!”

“Wait, let me ask you another question. Do you love me--no. Do you like me? Because that would make a huge difference. If the answer’s yes, then fine, I could live with this limbo that we’re in. I could wait until you’re ready. If no then--”

“No.” Nico blurts but regrets it as soon as it slips out of his mouth.

Will visibly pales. He takes a deep, shaky breath. “Wow,” he says, slowly standing up. “Okay. That- that makes a lot of sense, actually. Uh,” He grips the strap of his bag hard and rubs an eye, wiping a tear. “I’m gonna go now, okay?”

“Will, wait--” Nico attempts to say but Will is too far now. He leans back on his chair. 

Nico can’t remember when was the last time he cried, probably a long time ago. When Percy broke up with him? That can’t be right. It’s likely to be some time a year ago. For what reason, he can’t remember.

Ah, he wants to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it feels a little off, please blame my brain. I'm also blaming my brain.
> 
> Still, you can find me on [tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/)


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been looking at this for more than 3 days now and I can't take it anymore, so I'm sorry if this is a bit incoherent. And sorry again this is late. Things got real busy super fast at work.
> 
>  **CW:**  
>  ♦ mentions of alcohol and alcohol consumption (nobody gets wasted, just casual drinking)
> 
> I don't think this chapter has any more content warnings other than that, but if you ever find one, please do not hesitate to tell me so I could tag it properly. Thanks!
> 
> This, like any of my works, is unbeta'd so all mistakes and grammar inconsistencies are mine.

Nico opens his word document in hopes of making the words spill out from his brain and into his fingertips. He’s already had an idea brewing in the back of his mind that he meant to write down months ago but never had the chance. Now, with the sudden unemployment, he finally gives in to the infuriating scratching in his mind.

He looks at the blinking cursor then types a sentence. He looks at it for a few moments before deleting it. It looks wrong somehow.

He attempts to do more ‘writing’ for an hour before finally giving up. He changes into his workout running clothes and takes Mrs. O’Leary for a walk. 

They go back an hour later with Nico still feeling restless and antsy. He grabs a beer and flops down on his sofa, drinking most of its contents in a few gulps. His skin still feels itchy and he’s sweat sticky. Fucking hell, he won’t do anything productive at this point, might as well sleep. And sleep he does.

Nico wakes up three hours later, marginally feeling better than earlier. He looks at his watch then groans. Great, now he’s fucked up his sleep schedule--again. It is now 6:00 in the evening and he’s sure as hell won’t fall asleep by his usual 11 PM. 

He decides to fuck around with his phone instead.

After the cancellation of Purple Grave, Nico tweeted a ‘mandatory’ thank you message for the fans for their support and how working with the show for three years, both as a writer and an actor, was a delight. It was mostly genuine but there was a part of him that hoped that it was all a lie and that they would get picked up by another network or whatever. But after a few days, and that disastrous conversation at Peter’s Panini, he’s mostly… given up. Not life in general, but with something else he cannot name.

The reports about him fucking a married woman have stopped for the most part, though there are still tabloids and trashy celebrity gossip websites that say his coming out is a ploy to gather sympathy from the public and hide the fact that he _is_ fucking Annabeth. But it doesn’t bother him anymore. Annabeth hasn't mentioned any paparazzi for days now so he assumes they’ve lost interest in her.

Tomorrow he’ll do the stage photos with Travis. As per Shayne’s notes, they’re supposed to hang around on his balcony, get a little frisky and that’s it. The whole thing could probably be done in thirty minutes if Travis won’t fuck around. A third party would leak the photos, appear two or three more times in public, then inevitably a starlet would relapse and he’s old news.

Nico mutes several notifications that he’s tagged into and scrolls through his twitter feed. He likes and retweets some entertainment news, comments on Silena’s tweet, saves a few pictures and he’s switching to his private account. He argues with some aggressive fans about the central theme of the show, almost loses his cool when somebody insults Austin and Laurel, and tweets a rant about how Purple Grave’s cancellation is probably justified because of weird fans that can’t take the show for what it is--a work of fiction. He gets hate for it but he mutes the tweet and exits the app. After all, nobody knows it’s him and the show is done. No matter how much they sign petitions or tweet to Reyna and Thalia pleading to bring the show back it will _not_ come back.

It changes when he receives a message from Thalia.

 **Thalia G.**   
Hey be ready. We have a meeting with   
a few chucklefucks the day after tomorrow **18:25**

 **Me**   
???????? **18:25**

 **Thalia G.**   
HBΘ picked us up. It's our first meeting with them.   
Reyna would call you but she has stuff to do. **18:26**

 **Me**   
WHAT THE FUCK??????!!!????? **18:26**

 **Thalia G.**  
Ikr? **18:26**

 **Me**  
How? **18:27**  
When did this happen?! **18:27**

 **Thalia G.**   
Like a week after the announcement? **18:28**   
We always wanted to move but   
you know how N is. **18:28**   
After S03 dropped, critics reception   
were good but they were a “tad”   
upset the viewers weren’t as many as   
they expected so they cancelled **18:29**   
Good thing my girlfriend anticipated this   
and got in touch with HBΘ peeps. **18:30**

 **Me**  
Wow, good thinking!!!! **18:31**  
I knew there was a reason why Bill Hader’s  
show was on HBΘ! **18:32**  
Wait did he and Alec Berg pitched it  
to them specifically or HBΘ just won  
the bidding? **18:33**  
GIRLFRIEND **18:33**

 **Thalia G.**   
Yeah she’s awesome like that **18:34**   
Dude! I have no idea! We’re not friends! **18:35**   
If the Grace charm worked on you   
how could it not work on her? **18:35**

 **Me**   
To be fair, Jason was quite persistent   
Please ask if you see either of them **18:36**

 **Thalia G.**  
Who said I wasn’t? **18:37**  
No❤️ **18:37**  
🖕 **18:37**

 **Me**  
🖕🖕🖕 **18:38**  
Right back atcha **18:38**  
I’m happy for you thal **18:39**

 **Thalia G.**   
Thanks, I’m happy for me too **18:40**   
I’ll see you yeah? **18:40**

 **Me**   
Sure. I’ll bring whatever I have here **18:41**

 **Thalia G.**  
👍 **18:41**

Nico tosses his phone beside him and stares at his ceiling for what feels like an hour, his mind empty. Sure, he’s glad that he and his friends are not unemployed anymore, but the good news is overshadowed by Thalia’s admission that finally, after three years of bickering and blatant flirting, Reyna finally agreed to date her.

He’s happy for the both of them, just not in the mood to celebrate somebody else’s love life when his has gone into flames.

Nico shakes his head. No, his hasn’t gone into flames since he never intended to date Will in the first place.

Groaning, he gets out of his room and into the kitchen. He gives Mrs. O’Leary her dinner and rummages his fridge for his. He finds a three-day-old vegetable stir fry so he reheats it and eats it in his kitchen straight from the take-out box. He chucks it in the trash after three bites.

Nico looks around and frowns at the dim lights and his too quiet living room. Usually, by this time, Will would already be on his sofa, browsing for shows to watch and convincing Nico to sit with him. They would talk about their day, their friends, and when they've settled in comfortable silence, Will would slowly nudge his pinky finger closer, curling it around his, and Nico would know what it means because they’ve done this before. Will would lean in for a kiss and he would let him since it’s what he has always done. They would kiss and lick and touch each other until Nico gets too worked up. He would push Will away gently and Will would stop. They would go back to watching TV with Will’s arm around his shoulders and him tucked on his side. After an hour, Will would say he has an early shift at the hospital. Nico would walk him to the door and Will would kiss him goodbye.

Now it’s dark, and cold, and quiet. Completely devoid of the person he’s accustomed to. It makes his chest and head ache a little.

Well, no use in thinking about a person who’s gone, right?

Nico takes out his phone and texts Hazel.

 **Me**   
Can I come over? **20:11**

 **Haze**   
Sure ! We’re having dinner. Want some? **20:12**

 **Me**   
What are you having? **20:12**

 **Haze**   
Green curry **20:14**

 **Me**   
Is it spicy? **20:15**

 **Haze**   
Very. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ **20:15**

 **Me**   
Yes please **20:15**

 **Haze**   
Okay, we’ll set out a plate for you. 🍽️ **20:16**

 **Me**  
Be there in 25 **20:17**

 **Haze**   
Drive safe ! **20:20**

Nico plants a kiss on Mrs. O’Leary’s forehead and heads out the door, relieved to leave his cold and empty condo. If it weren’t for his dog he would’ve truly hated his home right now. Being with his sister and her boyfriend doesn’t diminish the carved-out sensation he’s feeling but he’s thankful for the distraction nevertheless.

Nico shares the news about Purple Grave to Hazel and Frank as they eat and Hazel tells him the dog they’re planning to adopt. They’re thinking of a huge one, maybe a bullmastiff or saint bernard, but if they don’t find them in any shelters, they’d adopt just about anything. 

After dinner, Frank corners him in the kitchen while he washes the dishes since Hazel only uses the dishwasher for pots and pans.

“I’m going to propose on Wednesday,” Frank whispers.

“Oh cool. You want me to bring her somewhere while you prepare?” Nico adds more dishwashing liquid to his sponge.

“Yes, please. I’m shit at keeping secrets from her. I don’t know what to say that won’t give anything away.”

“Uh, you bought her a house. And a ring. I think those are pretty big secrets that you have successfully kept.”

“Aiden has them.”

“What, the key or the rings?”

“Both. I don’t know where to hide them.”

“Eh. Probably for the best. Pretty sure she’d find it three hours after you hid it.” Nico shrugs. “You want me to bring her to the park?”

“I honestly don’t care where, I just want you to keep her away for about five hours.”

“Great. I’ll bring her to that horror-christmas exhibition in Woodview Holt. They say it’s nice. I’m gonna buy tickets later.”

“Alright. Just bring her around 6 okay? Text me if you’re on your way.”

“Uh-huh. I’m pretty sure I’m going to forget that but just remind me on Tuesday, yeah?”

“Sure.” Frank claps Nico’s shoulder causing him to lurch forward a little. “Thanks, Nico.”

Nico tips his head, resting it on Frank’s hand. “You’re welcome, buddy. You’re gonna make her so happy.” He gives a smile at his soon-to-be brother-in-law and hopes that he doesn’t see any emotion other than happiness in it. 

Tired and satiated, Nico leaves the Zhang-Levesque household around one in the morning. He unlocks his front door, greets the waiting Mrs. O’Leary with a hug and heads to his bathroom to brush his teeth and change his clothes before passing out in his bed. Thoughts of being alone in the back of his mind safely hidden behind a curtain.

Connor and Travis, for the lack of better words, are the embodiment of mischief. He came up with that description three days after meeting them in his first PA job. They were good at their jobs but _boy_ do they like to mess around. He still likes hanging around with them though, they never fail to make the day more difficult and twelve times more interesting than it’s supposed to be.

A series of knocks wake Nico from his tranced state in front of his coffee maker. Shayne doesn’t knock like that and neither does Dottie since she doesn’t knock _at all_ (she calls out until somebody lets her in), so it could only be Connor or Travis. “Wait!” he yells.

“Hey! Nothing’s changed!” Travis greets when he opens his door. Nico automatically rolls his eyes. He hasn’t brushed his teeth yet and his hair is still messy from sleep. The brothers barge in, drop their duffel bags, and remove their shoes.

“I said 10 AM not 6,” he complains while picking up their shoes and placing them on the shoe rack. Fucking slobs.

“Yeah, we know, but thought we can make some changes,” Connor says.

“What changes?”

“We’re gonna make a set!” Travis opens his duffel bag, revealing several blankets with various textures.

“What are you gonna do with fucking blankets?!”

“Do you have extra blankets? We need more blankets,” Connor rummages his cabinets for spare blankets.

Travis whistles sharply, getting the attention of his younger brother. “There's a linen closet in his room.”

“Nice,” Connor says, already on his feet and on his way to his room.

“Connor no- oh what the hell. As if I can stop you with whatever the fuck you wanna do.” He flops on his sofa and lets his guests wreak havoc in his house.

Travis winks at him while he pushes his loveseat out on the balcony along with his duffel bag. Moments later, Connor comes out with an armful of spare blankets. He puts them on top of his coffee table and drags it with him to his brother. Nico naps on the sofa.

Another knock on the door wakes him up. The two are nowhere in sight so he groans and stands up to open the door.

“Is he here?” Shayne asks in place of a greeting. Nico points behind him.

“Where’s Dottie?”

“She’ll be up in a minute with the photographer.”

“Do I have time to shower?”

“Make it fast. Cat has somewhere else to be.”

“Yup!” Nico runs to his bathroom and finds the boys inside playing with his toilet paper. He yells at them and they leave. He takes the fastest shower in his adult life and changes into gray cargo shorts and a black muscle shirt. Connor lifts an eyebrow at him.

“What? I’m in my home, I’m supposed to dress ‘homey’” he reasons.

Shayne waves her hand dismissing the issue of Nico’s clothes. “Nevermind the clothes. You could be in your underwear, I don’t give a fuck, just stay in your balcony with,” she looks at Connor and Travis, clearly figuring out who’s who. “Travis. Oh my god, you look too identical. Are you sure you’re not twins?!”

“Yeah. You wanna see our birth certificates?”

“You bring your birth certificates wherever you go?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Jesus Christ,” she mutters. “Whoever’s Travis please step forward.” Connor lifts a foot.

Nico folds his arms. “Do _not_ even think about putting that foot down, Connor.” The two snickers. Travis steps forward.

“God give me strength,” Shayne mutters again. “Alright.” The door opens behind Shayne and Dottie pokes her head in. “Are you ready? Cat’s in position.”

Shayne nods her head then looks back at Nico and Travis. “Please make it natural.” She pleads. Nico grabs a thick hoodie and gets out of the balcony with a book. He sits down on the loveseat that Travis and Connor prepared earlier, a bunch of blankets hanging dangerously on the railings of his balcony. He grabs a quilt and drapes it all over himself.

A few moments later, Travis comes out with hot cocoa and sets it down on the coffee table. He places them down too fast and it sloshes dangerously in the cup, ready to spill on the faux white fur cover of the table. “Hey, watch it!”

“Relax, that’s mine.”

“Fuck me for caring for your stuff then.” Nico carefully lifts the mug from the table and takes a sip. “Mm,” he hums appreciatively. “This is good. Where’d you get this?”

Travis sips his own and sits carefully beside Nico. “I made it. From scratch.” Nico gives him a disbelieving look. “Really! I know how to make shit from scratch. You’d know if you bother to let me hang out more than an hour here in your house. I’m more than a living dildo, you know. I contain multitudes.”

Nico rolls his eyes and huffs a laugh. “That’s because it wasn’t in our agreement. No sleepovers, remember?”

“Oh, I do. But,” Travis puts back his cocoa on the table and maneuvers himself so he’s facing Nico, his leg under him. “I kind of expected you’d change your mind after a while.”

Nico gulps his cooling cocoa. “And yet after 3 years I still haven’t changed my mind.” He drinks the rest of it and puts the mug back. It clicks on the glass surface.

“Is it because you found someone new to mess around with?” Travis waggles his eyebrow. He looks silly so Nico laughs. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard from Thalia that the reason you disappeared from the wrap party was,” he looks up and squints his eyes, pretending to think. “Because of a booty call?”

Nico laughs hard. “Where did you get that story?”

“I told you, from Thalia.”

“Thalia doesn’t know shit!”

“Aha! It _was_ a booty call!”

“No, moron. Just a party. A birthday party.”

“Ah, birthday sex. I get it, I get it.”

Nico giggles as he shakes his head. “There wasn’t any sex, Trav.” The brunett lifts an eyebrow as if saying ‘oh really?’

He rolls his eyes. “Okay then. There was sex… almost. I passed out.” He moves his book out of his lap. “I was drinking pretty hard and really fucking horny since you had to have a _boyfriend_ in all days,” Travis giggles “so I went to that guy’s party. It’s in The Circle.”

“Fuckin’ loaded!”

“I know, right? I kept drinking since they’re practically throwing top shelf drinks at people and I saw the guy. We’ve been kind of flirting for a few months already but nothing's happening.”

“Aw, why not?”

“Shush it.” Nico waves his hand dismissively. “I saw him and I pulled him away from his friends and basically asked a stranger to grope me in front of him. He got a little possessive and we started grinding and shit.”

“Hot.”

He rolls his eyes again. “Then we went to the rooms upstairs.”

“Don’t know, never been there.”

“Shame. Anyway, we made out, we stripped, and the last thing I remember was him manhandling me on the bed.”

“Then you passed out?”

“Then I passed out.”

It’s Travis’ turn to laugh hard. He clutches his stomach as he doubles over from laughing hard. “That’s fucking tragic!”

“It was. I haven’t gotten laid since… shit, when was the last time we had sex?”

Travis’ eyes bug out in surprise. “Wait, seriously? That was what, April?”

“Fuck, really? That was,” Nico counts the months with his fingers. “Seven months ago!”

“Eugh, I can’t even imagine not getting laid for two weeks.”

“What about you? When was the last time you got laid?”

“A week ago,”

“Lucky you. Wait, I thought you broke up with Noah a month ago?”

“Who said I had sex with Noah?”

“You bastard.”

“Why, what happened to Mister Loaded?”

Nico purses his lips and fiddles with the frayed edge of the quilt. “We, uh, kinda had a falling out... two weeks ago?”

“Aw, I’m sorry,” Travis says in a voice that doesn’t sound sympathetic at all.

“Shut up,”

“Hey,” Travis leans in closer and braces himself on the loveseat’s arm, trapping Nico. “What do you say we do something about your 7-month problem after this, huh?” The predatory grin on his face and the weight of Travis’ body above his make Nico’s eyes flutter close. 

“Do you have a result ready?”

“As it happens, I do. You wanna see it?” Travis bites his lip and Nico can’t help but look at it. “I got it three days ago.” Almost like their first time.

“Hm, maybe later,” he says, impressed, their faces dangerously close. “I want you to kiss me now.”

“With pleasure.”

Kissing Travis is different from kissing Will. Travis’ kisses promise sex and screams and scratches, while Will’s vows tenderness and passion and warmth. Will would brush his hair away from his face and tuck the strands behind his ear. He would cup his face like he’s something precious, rub circles under his shirt, and wrap an arm around him to pull him closer.

Travis does nothing of sorts. He grips Nico’s hair painfully and holds the back of his neck like Nico’s going to squirm his way out if he doesn’t hold him tight enough. It’s rough and it hurts a little. He fucking loves it.

In a way, Nico is glad that Travis kisses nothing like Will. At least he doesn't have to be worried that he might moan Will's name all of a sudden in the middle of making out with Travis. Comparing them in his head is a harmless game, one that can't hurt anybody except him. 

Travis pulls him in roughly onto his lap and bucks his hips up the moment Nico’s seated right above his crotch. Nico whimpers against the kiss and digs his nails on the meat of Travis’ shoulders. Travis gives an answering groan.

The air is cold but the warmth of Travis' skin seeps through his hoodie making him shiver. The drag of Travis' lips against his chilled skin is burning, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

The insistent beeping of Nico's phone in his pocket and the innate desire to breathe pull him away from Travis’ lips. Nico fishes out his phone irritatedly.

 **Shayne (manager 👽)**   
Cat got the shot 3 mins ago   
so if you want to continue sucking faces   
do it inside your room **10:48**   
You have neighbors with kids   
please dial it down **10:49**   
If I see your softcore porn all over twitter   
is2g I WILL kick your ass **10:49** **  
**Connor is with me **10:50**

“What is it?”

“It’s Shayne. Said we have to go back inside if we wanna keep making out.”

“Cool.”

“Connor’s with her.”

“Great. I have my own keys. Let’s go!” He moves Nico back to the loveseat and stands up. He picks up the empty mugs and puts them in the sink. Nico grabs all the blankets he can, sets them back inside, and does it over again. Travis helps him get the loveseat inside, they fold all the blankets and put the dirtied one in the wash.

Travis pushes Nico against his kitchen counter, pressing wet kisses along his neck and exposed shoulders, his hoodie long discarded on the floor.

“Travis, wait,” Nico gasps.

“Hm?”

“Should we, _ah,_ should we move this to the bedroom?”

“What’s wrong with your kitchen?” Travis playfully bites his neck. He bucks against Travis’ hand rubbing on his crotch.

“ _Haah, shit._ First, it's the kitchen. Second, lube’s in my room.”

“Don’t you have shit scattered around your house in cases like this?” He unbuttons Nico’s shorts, pulling them with his underwear in one go. Nico bites his lip to keep from whining out loud. 

It has been _so long_ since somebody touched him like this, so he savors it all, the feeling of Travis’ rough hands on his thighs, prying them apart, his digits, cold with lube teasing his entrance. The weight of a body pressing on him, the sound of skin slapping against skin, the hand on his neck pinning him down as Will pounds in on him.

Nico gasps wetly, pressing his hips backward, meeting Will-no, Travis’ hard thrusts. He grits his teeth and lifts his leg, propping it on the counter so he’d push deeper inside him. Tears prickle Nico’s eyes, he ignores them. Will- shit. Travis hits something delicious inside. Another gasp. He feels the tears trickle down his cheeks. He pushes himself up, craning his neck, seeking Travis’ lips. He kisses him. Travis’ hand finds his throbbing cock, he pumps once, twice, and it’s all over.

Travis, still crowding him on the counter, pulls out of him and cums on his ass. He laughs behind him and plants a few kisses on Nico’s cheek and temple.

Nico scrolls through twitter while Travis lies quietly beside him on the bed, arms behind his head with his eyes closed. Nico would worry if it isn’t for the occasional twitching of his lips and staring at the ceiling. Nico is still a tad worried though, Travis isn’t really known for shutting the fuck up so his silence beside Nico is quite worrying. He goes back to his phone and tries to ignore the man contemplating life beside him.

Nico is about to reply to some fuck-ass moron when Travis speaks. “I was thinking,”

“Uh-huh. Don’t hurt yourself,” he says, biting his lip and typing furiously on his phone.

“Dickhead. We should date.”

Nico stops mid-press. His forehead hurts from how high he raises his eyebrows. “We should what now?”

Travis rolls his eyes and turns to his side, facing Nico. He props himself up with his elbow. “Hear me out. We’ve been doing this for four years--”

“Three years and eight months,”

Travis swats his arm. “Three years and eight months then, Jesus. We’ve been doing this for _three years and eight months_ but we’re still friends,”

Losing interest with fuck-ass moron, Nico locks his phone and puts it on his bedside table. “Isn’t that the point of our arrangement?”

“Yeah, but let’s try something new! Maybe after the sex we can, I dunno, eat on the bed or something.” Travis shrugs. 

Nico cackles. “That’s your idea of dating? No wonder Noah broke up with you.”

“Like you know anything about dating.” Travis playfully shoves him to the side, grinning. Nico makes a face. “So whaddya think?” He waggles his eyebrows.

Nico considers. He thinks about what they always do, what his friends would say, what his _sister_ would say. If they do date, he won’t have to lie to Hazel when the news comes out. But even then his sister is too smart to be fooled by a couple of pictures from the internet. Guess he just has to talk to her when they see each other again, tell her _everything_ that’s been going on in his life. 

He considers what their professional lives might become when Purple Grave’s production starts again. It might take a while but they’ll get there eventually. Would their relationship get in the way of their jobs? Would it hinder their productivity? Travis isn’t one of those ‘physical touch as love language’ types of persons, right? Or ‘quality time’ because that would be just fucking great.

Nico thinks about Will, his bright smile and equally bright hair. His kind eyes and warm hands that seem to hold and break him apart all at once every time they touch him. Then he remembers that that afternoon in Will’s apartment might probably be the last time he’ll ever taste his lips.

He’s fine being alone, but if being alone means getting haunted by the ghost of the person whom he thought would be in his life for a long time then he’d rather… not.

“Sure,” he says, faking nonchalance like he did not think about a million things before making the decision.

Travis clicks his tongue. “Nice,” he throws away the pillow on Nico’s lap and kisses him hard their teeth clack.

  
  


**Me**   
Already on our way to the   
horror-christmas exhibition **15:02**

 **Francis**   
Thanks I owe you **15:02**

 **Me**   
Damn right you do **15:03**

“Are you texting Frank?” Hazel asks beside him. She’s craning her head trying to take a peep at his phone.

Nico pulls his hand away from her. “Stop rubbernecking, I’m talking to Grover.”

“About what?”

“The scripts.” He pockets his phone and starts the car.

“Oh oh! Speaking of scripts, how was your meeting with the HBΘ people?”

“Same like always. They’re more lax, I guess? The meeting didn’t last that long since they’ve already talked to Reyna. I’m just there to personally give them the episodes I wrote.”

“And what did they say?” Hazel twiddle the buttons of his stereo.

“Nothing yet. But I’m expected to hear from them some time this week. Probably tomorrow or on Friday.”

“That’s great! We should celebrate!”

“Uh, they haven’t said anything yet.”

“Does it matter? I know they’re gonna love it.”

Nico scoffs. “You put way too much trust on me, sis.”

“Of course I put way too much trust on you, you’re my brother.”

“That’s not healthy at all.”

“Healthy schmealthy. You’re doing what you love. I don’t have to read it to think it’s great, I did plenty of those as a kid. I _know_ they’re great.”

Nico smiles appreciatively at his sister. They’ve always supported each other in everything they do, especially her to him. They clung to each other when Bianca died, she let him cry on her lap while stroking his hair after Percy’s, she proofread most of his work and even let him use some of her ideas. She was there cheering him on when he pitched in his first writing, and she was there when it got rejected (they got piss-drunk and slept on Hazel’s bathroom floor that night). Hazel was there with him through thick and thin. Nico wishes he can only be the same. 

He knows hasn't been the best brother but he's trying his best, and he’s going to try even harder starting right now.

“Hey, sis,” he starts. “There’s something you need to know.” He trains his eyes in front of him, trying his best to drive calmly.

Hazel leans back on her seat, humming. She found a song she liked. “What?”

“I want you to hear it from me first before you hear it from someone else.”

Hazel’s confusion is painted on her face. She has questions but Nico isn’t done. She lets him talk.

He nibbles on his lips. “I don’t know if you’re talking to Shayne but tomorrow somebody’s leaking a picture of me and Travis making out in my condo. It’s just a move following up my ‘coming out’ last time,” his knuckles turning white from how tight he’s gripping the wheel.

“Okay,” Hazel says, “I understand. It’s a part of your job now,”

“That’s not all. I, uh, Travis and I are dating. Now. But we’ve been sleeping together for a couple of years now. I mean it stopped after he got a boyfriend, I’m not a bastard, but it’s back. I mean we’re not fucking again for kicks, we’re together. We’re kinda exclusive now, I guess.”

The sharp intake of breath from his sister makes him flinch. “What? Yeah, I get that. Wait. What?”

“I’m not saying it again.”

“I… I don’t understand. Three years and eight months? What about those guys I saw you with? That, that, Christopher guy? That Jake?”

“Yeaah. I don’t know their names. I made it up.”

“What about Will?” Nico clenches his ass in surprise. “You were cheating on Will with Travis?”

“Uh, no. I didn’t cheat because we were never together.”

“Wha-Nico, he’s all you’ve been talking about for the past year! You talk to him practically every day. He spends time with you in your condo. You hang out with his friends-”

“Not anymore.”

“You like him! He likes you!”

“I’m not so sure about that,”

“What, that you like him?”

He stays silent.

“Oh geez. For real? What are we, in ninth grade?” She huffs under her breath and slaps her forehead with her palm. “Is this why you’re moping?”

“I wasn't moping.”

“You definitely _are_. You’ve been hanging out with us more than usual. You never used to do that. You used to stay home with your dog or drive around then eat fast food. We go out every Friday for brunch, sure, but you’ve been in my house five times last week. And this is the third time I’ve seen you, and it is Wednesday.” She waves a hand in the air making her point. “I don’t mind you visiting, you know that, right? If it were up to me I’d have you move in on the other unit. But I live on the other side of the city, Nico. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

Reluctantly, he nods. “Okay, I’ll stop visiting for now.”

“That’s not what I mean. Stop making that puppy face I’m telling you something.” She tucks a hair behind her ear. “I won’t tell you how you feel because only you can do that, but please stop punishing yourself for what happened a long time ago. You deserve to be happy, okay? You deserve to have something good in your life. You deserve to kiss and be kissed breathless every day and you deserve to have someone to come home to. You deserve to have your own Frank.” Hazel rubs his shoulder gently and looks at the road with a smirk on her face.

It’s too much emotion for a 10-minute ride, so he deals with it in the only way he knows how: sarcasm. “Wow, you used five ‘deserve’s in your whole speech. Do you wanna add more? And when did we start making Frank as the blueprint for happiness now?”

“Shut up. Deserve, deserve, deserve, deserve, deserve! Now it sounds wrong saying it. Does it really sound like that?” She mouths the word ‘deserve’ two more times before continuing again. “Anyway, no. That is still up to you but having a ‘Frank’ in your life surely adds fun!”

It’s no question that Frank is perfect for her sister, that’s part of the reason why he’s helping him distract her in the first place. They make each other absurdly happy that he gets a tad jealous sometimes. 

He’s not _lonely,_ or so he thinks. You can’t miss something if you never had it to begin with.

“So,” Hazel rearranges herself in her seat. “Where are we going?”

“Woodview Holt. There’s this horror-christmas exhibit they say is fun. I didn’t look it up, I just bought tickets.”

“Oh? That sounds cool. I hope it doesn’t suck.”

“Well that was disappointing,” Hazel says as they leave. The air is chilly but not so much. Still, she wraps her scarf securely around her neck.

“Good thing the tickets were cheap. But I liked that giant nutcracker though. The one with the crushed guy underneath.”

“Ah yeah, that was cool. And that elf-fruitcake machine? _Ugh,”_

“At least I didn’t waste twenty bucks for nothing.”

They get inside the car, Nico turns the ignition on. “Where are we going next?”

He looks at his watch, it’s almost 4 PM, the ride to Sasford is almost two hours. Better start driving so they can get there on time. 

He pulls out his phone and texts Frank. He locks his phone without waiting for his reply. “You up for a road trip?”

“Where?”

“Sasford.”

“Why, what’s in Sasford?”

“I have to pick something up for Thalia.”

“Mkay. Just bring me home before 9. Dinner date with Frank. You wanna come?”

“Nah, I’ll pass. Travis is taking me somewhere tonight.”

“Hm. Bring Travis this Friday, ‘kay? You gotta let the others meet him. Leo knows him, right?”

“Huh? Uh yeah, he does. Sometimes he joins the Stolls in messing with the wardrobe department.”

“That’s not alarming at all,” she says dryly. “Is he gonna bring Connor?”

“I dunno. Maybe? There’s a big chance he’ll bring Connor.”

“Good to know I only have a day to prepare myself.”

“Unless they start a food fight, I think we’ll be fine.”

The ride to Sasford is uneventful at best. Hazel dozes for a few minutes while Nico drives quietly. Christmas decorations litter the roads as they exit the city to the quiet suburbia his almost brother-in-law had picked.

Nico turns the radio on when the low rumble of the engine becomes too unbearable. Hazel doesn’t stir so he lets it play cheesy Christmas songs until Hazel wakes up.

They get to Sasford a little before 6. He looks around, trying to remember the turns. They get lost a few times but Nico eventually sees the evergreen tree with the small bench underneath, his landmark for Frank’s house. He takes a left turn and pulls up into the curb. It’s still as yellow as it was the first time he’s seen it.

“Woah, that’s a cute house.” Hazel stares in awe. It takes all of Nico’s self-control not to blurt out ‘it’s yours’. 

“Come on,” Nico says instead, unbuckling his seatbelt. 

Hazel raises an eyebrow. “I’ll just wait here. You’re only gonna take a while, yeah?”

“I’m not gonna leave my car running. I haven’t had a mechanic take a look at Elliot in _years_. He might overhead or whatever. Do you wanna get stranded here? And Thalia said the, uh, thing is in uh, her room. That, uh, I have to go look for it? Wouldn’t it be faster if you help me look?” He turns his back at her, pretending to rummage for shit under his seat.

“Going through a stranger’s stuff? Isn’t it weird?”

“What do you mean stranger? Thalia’s only a few years older. This is their grandma’s house.”

“Her grandma’s the stranger then. What’s she like?”

“I dunno, I forgot.” He never met Thalia and Jason’s grandma. “Come on, I need your old lady aura to charm the pants out of her grandma.” She doesn’t budge. Time to bribe her then. “I’ll try to convince Travis to not bring Connor on Friday. I promise.”

Hazel considers it with a pout on her lips. “Fine.” She then unbuckles her seatbelt and fixes her beanie.” Nico turns off the engine but not before ‘accidentally’ honking to announce their presence. Nico notices the curtain move.

At the door, Nico bumps on Hazel’s arm, asking her to knock. She makes a face at him and mutters ‘weirdo’ under her breath. She gives the door a quick rap of her knuckles.

Nico has no idea who's to greet them at the door, maybe it’s Jason, maybe Aiden, maybe Frank hired someone specifically to open the door. All those people in his head yet he did not anticipate that maybe someone they know would be on the other side of the door.

It’s Percy who opens the door, his eyes trained on Hazel. Hazel sucks in a breath. Nico’s hands start to sweat, his feet threatening to run back to his car and step on the gas. He would’ve done exactly that were it not for their original plan. 

Percy looks older, obviously since he’s in his 30s now, but the boyish charms that made Nico infatuated with him are still ever-present. He still smiles with his eyes, he still wears his heart on his sleeves.

His fashion choices have changed as well. Gone are the tattered jeans and old band shirts. Now it’s black jeans and a denim jacket over a plain black shirt. His hair looks professionally styled and the scent of his expensive perfume wafts over them.

“Oh my god!” Percy shrieks and envelops Hazel into a bear hug. Nico instinctively steps back a little when he thinks Percy’s fingers are going to brush his chest. Hazel, still stunned, stands with her arms beside her. After a few seconds of immobility, she slowly hugs back. “Percy?” She squeaks. “You’re... Percy?”

“Yes, it’s me, Hay-hay! Oh, I miss you so much!” He says, voice thick with emotions, his face red and his eyes prickled with tears. Hazel is openly sobbing in his arms. He kisses her forehead and cheeks and wipes her tears with his thumbs. He looks up and locks eyes with Nico. Slowly, he walks to Nico while still hugging Hazel. And like a dad who just got home after spending a long time away from his family, he extends his arm, inviting Nico in their embrace.

With a pounding chest and mind running faster than ever, Nico accepts. He rushes in and hugs Percy tight, squishing his still crying sister between them. He sniffles and blinks back tears, willing them to go back behind his eyes, but one betrays him, then another, until his eyes are blurry with tears and he can’t seem to stop. He lets out a sob when Percy plants a kiss on his hairline.

“Hi, Nico. I miss you so much.” Percy says against his temple. He holds them tightly as he did during Bianca’s funeral like he’s trying to soak up the pain so they would stop hurting. In a way, this hug feels the same but with a different purpose.

“I miss you too. I’m sorry for what happened to us.“

“Stop. I should apologize.”

“Let’s stop talking about it, okay? Let’s forget about it.”

All sweaty from their combined body heat despite the cold breeze outside, Nico would’ve forgotten they’re here for his sister’s engagement if it isn’t for Frank who’s standing by the foyer. Nico clears his throat and gives Percy and Hazel one more squeeze before letting go. 

“Hey,” he says. Frank raises a hand and gives Hazel and Nico a small wave.

“Wha- what are you doing here?!” She lets go of Percy and frantically wipes her tears in the sleeves of her jacket, careful not to smudge her eyeliner (she uses damn good products!), then smiles. She runs to her boyfriend and kisses him on the cheek. “What is going on?”

The soft smile on Hazel’s face mirrors Frank’s own. “Nothing, I just wanted to surprise you.”

“Your idea of surprise is to bring my childhood friends who are living on the east coast here? Wow, you must really love me huh, babe?”

Frank blushes crimson. “More than anything in the world.” He wraps his big, strong arms around Hazel and lifts her. Hazel squeals as Frank twirls her around. She’s so small.

Hazel holds his face in her small hands and kisses him on the lips. “I love you,” she says, not giving any attention to Nico, Percy, and Piper who appeared from the stairs holding a flute of champagne.

“I love _you_ ,” Frank answers. He puts her down and she pulls him to Percy whose eyes are still shining from the burst of emotions a few moments ago.

Nico spots Travis under the archway to the kitchen observing the four of them. He meets his eyes and smiles at him, holding up a bottle of beer. 

“Percy, this is Frank. My boyfriend.” Frank gives a shy smile when Percy sticks his hand out for him to shake. “I know, we’ve met,” Percy says. Frank shakes his hand anyway.

“Can we go inside now? I’m getting a little hungry,” Nico interrupts.

The Sasford house (Nico’s temporary name for the place) looks even more beautiful with a fully furnished interior and furniture. It looks ‘lived in’ even though technically nobody's ever been here except for him, Frank, Annabeth, and Aiden. Framed pictures of the couple (and Nico) littered all over the house he’s quite impressed Hazel hasn’t noticed them yet.

The “party” is an intimate gathering. They set up a large closed tent in the backyard to trap the heat in and a long table so everybody can sit together, with a little bit of space at the end so anybody can go dancing if they want. Most of the attendees are their friends and a few of Hazel and Frank’s costars, and from what he’s heard from Frank, Penny. She would drop by later to give _their_ congratulations since their father couldn’t be bothered to attend her own daughter’s engagement party.

After dessert, Frank excuses himself to go to the ‘bathroom’ with Aiden and Nico in tow. They head straight to the guest bedroom and Aiden gives him the ring. Nico doesn’t even know why Frank bothered to let him come since he doesn’t have anything that Frank might need in proposing to her sister.

Frank does a full body shake before brushing his shirt again for the umpteenth time they’re in the guest bedroom. “I’m gonna do it. I am going to do it.”

“Yes you are, man. You can do this!”

“Are you really sure she’s going to say yes? I’m not putting her on the spot, am I?” He asks, eyes swimming in horror and tension.

Nico holds Frank’s shoulders and forces him to level with his eyes, causing him to crouch awkwardly. He wipes the excess moisture of his hands to his pants. “Frank, listen to me. You are _not_ putting my sister on the spot. I know my sister. She _will_ say yes, okay? Say it with me, Hazel will say yes. Come on, go.”

Frank’s lips are trembling when he speaks. “Hazel will say yes.”

“Say it again.”

“Hazel will say yes.”

“One more time! Confidently!”

“Hazel will say yes!” Frank says louder. His voice echoes in the room.

“Yes!” “Hell yeah!”

Standing a little straighter, he almost yells. “Hazel will say yes!” Nico shushes him.

“Yes! Hazel will say yes! If he doesn’t, I’ll marry you so you can still be a part of this family!”

“Aaaagh!!!” Frank claps his hands once and stalks out of the room and back to the table. Nico follows behind them.

Annabeth, Piper, Leo, and Caly are gathered around Hazel talking about something when Frank inserts himself in the middle, muttering apologies to their other friends. They take the hint and go back to their seats. Nico hangs behind. 

“Hazel,” Frank starts.

“Yes, baby?” She asks, touching his arm. “Oh that’s right,” she puts her wine glass back on the table and _goes on one knee._ Nico lets out a surprised yelp as well as at least nine others. He couldn’t see Frank’s face from this angle but he’s pretty sure he’s just as surprised as everyone else.

“Baby, I know I look ridiculous kneeling on one knee in front of you with all our friends around but I honestly can’t think of a more perfect time to do this. I was supposed to do this over Christmas but I guess that’s out of the window now.” She pulls something out from the pocket of her green dress that looks like a silver band. Nico can’t tell he’s too far away and Frank’s blocking his view. 

“Francis Simon Zhang, my best friend, my lover, eater of my bell peppers, and my lemon-ginger tea buddy. I love you so much I feel imploding every time I wake up next to you. Growing up was tough for both you and I but we found each other and everything’s a little better now. Life won’t magically get easier after this but I’m sure as hell would want to try it with you anyway.” She laughs a little and his shoulders shake ever so slightly. “I want to spend forever and what’s beyond it with you. Marry me?”

Her voice did not waver, not even a little bit. Nico is so proud of her.

When Frank’s shoulders shake again and he drops on his knees, Nico moves. There on the ground, with Annabeth behind him, her hands on her chest and over her mouth, Frank is trying his best not to sob. Hazel, too, is shedding a few tears.

Frank reaches behind him and produces a blue velvet box. More tears fall from Hazel’s face as she laughs, then Frank laughs too.

“You totally upstaged me!” He complains half-heartedly. “I called you to propose! I was literally about to drop on one knee!”

“Beat you to it,” she says and leans in again for a kiss. “What do you say, big guy?”

“I want to spend forever and what’s beyond it with you too,” Nico hollers, everybody claps. She slips the ring on his finger. “Now ask me! Ask me! I wanna say yes too!”

Frank opens the box, her face lights up. “Hazel Marie Levesque-di Angelo, I love you so much I can’t wait to sign a document saying I’m yours and you can’t take me back. I, uh, dang it, I made a speech for this! How did I forget?! I love you and I will continue to love you until I’m gray and frail and dust in the air. Will you marry--”

“Yes!”

“--me, oh my god!” Hazel leaps to his chest and kisses him hard on the lips. Frank wraps his arms around her and doesn’t let go until the applause and hollering have stopped. He slides the ring on her finger and she beams at her now-fiancé and lifts her hand for Annabeth to see. Frank helps her stand, brushing the dirt off her knees, and gives her one more kiss. It was beautiful.

Nico rushes to his sister and brings her to his arms. Hazel rocks them both side to side. “Hazel I am so fucking happy for you! That was fucking insane! Why didn’t you tell me you were gonna propose to Frank?!” His chest is pounding from excitement and his cheeks hurt from smiling too much.

“It was an impulse! I swear I was supposed to do it on Christmas! I didn’t wanna tell you cus I know you’re gonna make hints at Frank or share it with Jason or Leo which I _know_ they will tell Frank. I was just taking precautions.”

“That’s certainly what I would do. Good call.” Nico pulls back to take a look at her again, her hair’s a mess, her eyes puffy from all the crying, there’s dirt on her dress, but she still looks beautiful. “I’m proud of you,” he says. “I wish Bi could see you now.”

“I know. I bet she would’ve cried,”

“Of course she would, even I cried!” Nico notices that some of their friends want to congratulate Hazel and Frank so he peels himself off her hands and picks up her wine glass. “I’m gonna get more wine while they mob you, okay?” He gives a kiss on her cheek and whispers. “Frank has one more surprise.”

“Really? What?”

“You gotta wait!” He storms off inside.

The house is empty save for two people who are looking at pictures of Frank and Hazel during their vacation to Rome. They must be Hazel and Frank’s co-stars since he doesn’t know them, but if he’s correct, the dark-haired one on the left is Michael Yew. This is the first time he’s seen him up close but there is no doubt he _is_ Naomi Solace’s son. He detours to the kitchen.

Percy is crouching in front of the fridge grabbing more wine coolers. He stands up when he sees Nico enter. “Hey, they ran out of ‘real wine’,” he says, emphasizing the last two words. “Can I interest you with some wine coolers instead?” He offers one to Nico which he accepts. He uncaps it and takes a swig. It tastes fine.

Percy sits on the (gorgeous) marble countertop, less than a foot of space between them. “Hazel’s engaged now, huh. Yay! What about you?”

If these were the old days, Percy would’ve had his arm around his shoulders already, giving him a noogie and pinching his cheeks. Nico would have preferred that, but they just saw each other after twelve years of being apart so he understands if Percy is hesitant to revert to their old behavior. He appreciates it.

To show that he’s fine with touches, he stiffly rests his head on his shoulder and continues to drink. He hears Percy huff then there’s an arm around his shoulders, rubbing his bicep in comfort. “I just got a boyfriend,” he admits.

“Cool! Do I know him?”

“I doubt. But he’s here somewhere.”

“Really? What does he look like? Maybe I saw him around,”

“Tall, curly brown hair, pale as a sheet, looks like a troll but cuter, I guess. His twin might be here so if you think you saw someone in two different places at once, one of them was my boyfriend. He’ll join us on Friday for brunch... that is if you two are still here on Christmas.” He looks up only to see Percy looking at him with a soft smile on his face. “What?”

“Nothing. You’re just… you’ve grown.”

“Uh-huh, puberty does that to a person. And aging.” He answers dryly.

Percy grins. “I see your attitude hasn't changed at all. Well, it did, but not so much.” He puts his wine cooler down and pulls Nico in for a proper hug. Percy rests his cheek on his head. “I miss you.” 

Nico is done crying but more feelings are trying to crawl out of him so he smushes his face in Percy’s chest instead, letting him envelop him with his warmth. He smells like sandalwood and citrus. “I miss you too,” he answers. “Let’s be friends again, please?”

“I’m still your friend, silly.” Percy kisses the top of his head. “You’re never getting rid of me again. I’ll call you every day and visit you every month.”

“That seems excessive but okay. I’ll hold you on to that.” They stay like that for five minutes before Annabeth sees them. Percy holds out an arm for her that she instantly takes.

“You were very good at Purple Grave, by the way. I just want to tell you that. Like, you blew my mind every time you were on screen. How did it feel making out with Paul Russel though? Was it as magical as I thought? I’m sorry your show got canceled.”

“You had to ruin a tender moment, huh, seaweed brain?”

Nico giggles. “It was awesome. He was awesome.” He lifts his head from Percy’s chest. “Actually, HBΘ picked us up! Reyna, Thalia’s girlfriend, the one with the brown hair and intense eyes, talked to them before season 3 aired so they swooped in a week or so after the cancellation.”

“That’s good news! Are you still in season 4? Are you still writing most of the episodes?!”

“Just two episodes this time. I’m still in season 4 but production won’t start until late next year so a lot can still change.”

Percy ruffles his hair again affectionately. “I am so fucking proud of you!” His heart swells from the praise. “You’ve come a long way on your own. I’m just,” Percy pulls him in another hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t, _we_ didn’t reach out sooner.”

Nico shakes his head furiously. Whoever he is now was because of the things that happened to him in the past. Most of them hurt, like Bianca’s passing, their falling out, their dad’s emotional abandonment, but if it weren’t for those, he wouldn't have started writing obsessively. Gerald wouldn’t have reached out to him offering a writing gig, he wouldn’t have met the Stolls and Leo, even Reyna. 

He would trade everything in a heartbeat if it meant bringing Bianca back, but if it weren’t for _her,_ he wouldn’t have _this_ right now.

She owes Bianca everything. Maybe he can repay her by finally living his life. No more hiding.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. You both are here and that is what’s important.”

Hazel and Frank look so beautiful in each other’s embrace as they dance in the middle, surrounded by all their friends who are looking at them with such fondness that Nico’s chest hurt. 

As the soft melody of the guitar fills the backyard, they are joined by Leo and Caly, then Piper and Jason. A few moments later, Michael Yew and his date step in, slow dancing to a song Nico doesn’t recognize but understands.

“Hey.” A voice says behind him and laces his fingers around his own. Nico turns his head and smiles. Travis cups his jaw and kisses him tender. 

Maybe this is what he deserves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... the author is **definitely** projecting.
> 
> Alright so this what [Percy's clothes look like](https://data.whicdn.com/images/135561639/original.png). I am so proud of myself for finding this.
> 
> And this is [Hazel's dress](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/3a/29/043a29cd50a83a2aaed88cd7ce5a5d4b.jpg). Just pretend it has pockets.
> 
> The song Hazel and Frank are dancing to is Carla Bruni's [Le ciel dans une chambre](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j7Wk854_Cc) from her album Quelqu'un m'a dit. I couldn't find any videos on youtube with english translations so the one linked in is Terra Naomi's cover. This is Carla Bruni's [version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbeSShw0RZY). The song is sang in French and Italian, btw. It's beautiful. 
> 
> Anyway, you can find me on [tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/).
> 
> P.S. I know Θ is pronounced differently I just wanna use it. Let me live. Thanks. ✌️✌️


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what I did to the chapter count but I SWEAR it's not that many! I just did that for my own sanity. 
> 
> **SPOILERS!!!**  
>  **CW:**  
>  ♦ a misunderstanding that could be a little homophobic if you squint at it BUT I PROMISE NOTHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN.   
> ♦ there is an implied straight sex in this chapter so a little warning for that. If you don't wanna read all about it, you can stop reading at _"What an alarming imagery"_ and start reading again at _"Let's go!" She wraps her arms around his when she’s done._
> 
> I don't think this chapter has any more content warnings other than those above, but if you ever find more, please do not hesitate to tell me so I could tag it properly. Thanks!
> 
> I don't know when I could update because of work, but I'll try to post two more chapters before the year ends 😀😀😀😀

Will has been staying in his childhood home ever since the winter break started. It doesn't make a difference really since he's here almost every Friday except when he's busy with research or schoolwork. But it's Christmas and even though Will has lost his Christmas spirit when he was 17, it's still his favorite time of the year. He likes the fairy lights, the gingerbread houses, the food. It's also the only time they're complete since their mom  _ always _ takes two weeks off every year. She never agrees to a holiday concert if she thinks it would compromise her holiday plans.

So there he is in their living room, wallowing in loneliness with his feet up on the coffee table, mulled wine within his reach, he scrolls through his phone reading their past conversations. A bittersweet smile on his face while reliving the moments where they would stay up late talking about anything and everything.

Will nearly jumps out of his seat when the door bursts open with Michael bouncing on his feet. His overgrown dark hair bobs on his forehead as he whistles a tune that sounds like Kool & The Gang’s Celebration. He spins and drops his satchel beside Will.

Still in a somber mood, he says his brother in a dry tone. “You’re bright and cheery.”

“Hmm,” Michael puts his hands on his hips and studies his brother. “Sitting in a dim room alone, sullen face, phone in hand, and wine on the side? Did you get dumped? But to answer your question, my friends got engaged and I had Bea as my date.”

“Wow. Good for you. Who's getting married?”

“Hazel and Frank.”

“Tall boy, tiny girl?”

“Yep. Hey dad!” Michael waves a hand at their dad who’s coming down from their room.

“You’re home early. I was not expecting you to come home  _ at all.” _ Apollo gives his son a hug and a noogie before letting him go.

“Ow. Why weren’t you expecting me home? It’s Christmas in two days.”

“Yeah but you’re an adult and adults do stuff with each other.” He waits for his son to say something. When he’s met with a cocked eyebrow and a confused look, he rolls his eyes and continues. “Sex, Mike. I thought you were gonna have sex with your lady friend tonight. That’s why I wasn’t expecting you home.”

“Ew, dad, gross! Stop talking about my sex life! We’re taking it slow, okay? I’m like 21, I don’t want a baby yet. Bother Will, he’s like, middle-aged and sad cus he got dumped.”

Will rolls his eyes. How is he included in the conversation? He's literally just sitting here minding his own business. “Fuck you, I did  _ not _ get dumped.”

His dad raises an eyebrow at him. “That’s a lot of protesting for someone who didn’t get dumped.” He points at the warm drink beside his son. “Plus you got those going on so it’s not hard to imagine what’s going on. Who was it? Were they new? Was it Katie? Did Katie dump you? I thought  _ you _ dumped Katie?”

“I didn’t get dumped, dad! God! Katie and I broke up last year.” He reasons, almost yelling.

“Boys, no yelling please, Aiden and David just went to bed! Hey, Mike. How’s Bea? Why are you home? I thought you were gonna have sex tonight.” Naomi emerges from her office and kisses his son on the cheek.

“Why are you so invested in my sex life?" He sighs. "She's great. She liked Frank’s new house." Then his tone changes to business-like. "Would it be a good investment if I buy a property there? I really wanna hire his architect but the place is too far from the city.”

“You can do whatever you want, babe.” Their mom says. Will rolls his eyes and continues thumbing his phone, scrolling through his notes this time but not reading anything, just looking at the diagrams like a second grader with a new picture book. “Do you have pictures of the house? Lemme judge their architect’s work  _ then _ we can talk about real estate opportunities.”

“Honey, I love you, but you don’t know shit about architecture.”

Michael rummages through his satchel for his phone and shows them the pictures. Their parents can’t stop  _ ooh-ing _ and  _ ahh-ing _ as Michael swipes at the screen. If Will rolls his eyes one more time, his eyeballs are going to get stuck in the back of his skull.

“Hey, that’s my co-star!” His dad exclaims, pointing at his son’s phone. Will throws him a dirty look which he doesn’t notice.  _ If they’re gonna look at pictures of people getting engaged or whatever the fuck, they should do it in the kitchen. Or outside where he can’t hear about them.  _ “Aw look he’s sucking faces with--”

“Which co-star?” Naomi borrows the phone and zooms in. “This one or this one?”

“This guy right here,” Apollo points at the corner of the phone. “I introduced him to you during the wrap party. Did you forget?” 

“The technical director or the showrunner’s brother?”

“No, the writer! I said co-star, didn't I?” Will’s head snaps up at them, eyes wide. “The one they replaced Barrera with. Di Angelo.” Will puts down his phone and listens intently to his parents.

“Ah, yeah. Henry di Angelo’s son. I remember. Why is he here?”

“Wha-what is going on why is Nico at the party how did you know Nico? How did you know his dad?!” He asks in a rush, barely breathing just to say the words out loud. Will stands up and crowds his family to look at his brother’s phone. Sure enough, it’s Nico, wrapped in another man’s embrace.

“I think she’s Hazel’s brother.” Michael turns his head to his brother. “They were supposed to be at your party back in June, but something happened with her brother,” he shrugs. “I think he disappeared or something that’s why they didn’t show up. The Il Bisonte and Bottega Veneta bags I gave you were from them.”

"Oh yeah! He has another daughter! The younger one."

Will’s head spins. Nobody’s answering his questions. He tries again. “How did you know Nico?”

“I told you, he’s Hazel’s brother. I work with Hazel and Frank. This is the first time I was in a room with him, chill out.”

“How did you know his dad? He didn’t even tell me anything about his dad!”

“How did  _ you _ know Nico?” Will asks, like his parents hiding something from him.

“We went to his daughter’s funeral a long time ago. We didn’t bring you because you were 10.” His mother answers. “Wilhelm, what are you so mad about?” Daughter? Funeral? What the fuck?

The three of them are looking at him like a lunatic but he ignores them. He swipes through the rest of the photos (walls, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, backyard, Bea), looking for something, anything, and gives it back to Michael when he doesn’t find what he’s looking for.

He grabs his jacket from the rack, “I’m going out,” and slams the door behind him on his way out. Will starts his engine and drives away.

Storming out was too much if Will is being honest, but it was the only logical move he could think of after lashing out and making a fool of himself in front of his family like a petulant child who ran out of candy. He probably woke his brothers up too. Great.

One of the most unforgettable memories Will have as a child was when his grandma made him his first roll spread with condensed milk. He was maybe 6 at that time. He watched his grandma from under the table cut a roll in half with a kitchen knife. She spread a generous amount of sweet milk on it and gave it to him as a treat. He wolfed it down in three bites making his Nana laugh with how eager he was. Then suddenly she left, probably to do some chores. Will wanted more of that sweet bread but there were no adults around to help him. So he grabbed the knife and tried his best to copy what his grandma had done under the dining table. He got to about half of the roll before the sharpened tip cut his thumb deep and stained his bread with crimson.

Seeing the photo was like slicing his thumb open all over again. It hurt and he wanted to tear his gaze away but he couldn’t stop looking and spreading it open to examine it. 

  
  


Will doesn’t leave his car when he arrives at his ‘destination’. It isn’t snowing and his body can stand being exposed out in the cold for about an hour or two, but stepping out means subjecting himself to more pain, not just from exposure but from his own memories as well. So he stays.

The field is covered in frost and fog from what he can see from his car, and the absence of wind makes everything still and eerie. It’s hard to believe this was the place where he and Nico kissed for the first time without the influence of alcohol and sudden bodily pains.

Will doesn’t cry, he ran out of those even before meeting Nico a year ago. What he is is numb.

Maybe that was the reason why Nico couldn’t give him a proper answer before because all he was was a substitute. He didn’t want to hurt his feelings so he played along, flirting with him for a more believable performance. Will wasn’t exactly subtle in all his kisses and small touches. He must’ve noticed it before but didn’t have the heart to tell him off. He was just being kind to the pathetic guy who can’t keep his hands to himself. He just had to ruin  _ everything _ by letting his insides spill all over Nico and cling to him like an imprinted chicken.

Will stays a few more minutes looking at the frosted grass before driving away.

Will gets home at 3 AM. All lights off except for the porch light. He unlocks it, heads straight to his room, and sleeps.

He dreams of the night he and Nico first met 8 years ago in a studio where his dad just finished filming his part. Though everything is mostly distorted, Will could still make out Nico’s form sitting on one of the chairs beside one of those huge ass lights used in filming, eating chocolate cake. He looks up and hundreds of fairy lights glimmer at the ceiling, illuminating the reindeer antlers perched on Nico’s head. Ah, yes, it’s Christmas.

He approaches Nico, walking carefully around the expensive equipment and dodging people walking around. They don’t part for him as they do now since he’s much shorter then. He stops in front of Nico who’s still eating, his cake doesn’t seem to get any smaller. Right, this is a dream.

“What are you eating?” Dream him asks. Their dialogues don’t change no matter how much he wants to tell him something else.

Dream Nico lifts his head and looks at him with dark circles under his eyes. Dream him hitches a breath. Even as a teen, Nico was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, eyebags and all. “Who are you? Why are you here? Children are not supposed to be here.”

Dream him points at the group of people surrounding his dad. “I'm not a child. My uh, my dad works here and the others said it’s fine if I look around.” He curls his toes in his shoes. “Is it okay if I sit here?” He nods to the seat across him. Dream Nico grunts. He takes his seat.

Dream him leans back and taps the armrest rhythmically while Dream Nico still forks his cake. “What do you do?”

Dream Nico stops and lifts his head again, his stare unnerving. “Set PA.” He says as if it’s already an explanation. 17-year-old Will had no clue what they do, but 25-year-old Will does. Still, the 17-year-old dream him asks. “What’s that?”

“Underpaid errand boy.”

“You like it?”

“No, but I have to do it to know the trade.”

“Do you want to know the trade?”

“Yes, since I want to write shit and write my own show someday.” Dream Nico answers dryly. Somehow, even then, he knew it was genuine.

“Like suffer now, reap the benefits later?”

“Yup.” He shoves a piece of gooey cake in his mouth. He missed his mouth a little so there’s a bit of frosting in the corner of his mouth. Dream him moves closer, wipes the frosting with his thumb, and puts it in his mouth. Wait, that never happened before.

The walls shift and suddenly Dream Nico’s older and so is he. They are still seated in their chairs and Dream Nico is still eating his chocolate cake, but both of them are visibly older now. 

“If you don’t want to sing, then don’t. Do what you really like. You don’t have to  _ be _ your dad or your mom to please them, you can do that by doing what you really wanna do and excelling in it.” Dream Nico licks his fork and stabs his cake again.”You look smart, you sound smart, and from what you’ve told me, your parents sound very laid-back and reasonable people.” He swirls his index finger around the frosting and puts it in his mouth. “Sit your mom and dad down, explain to them you want to make your own path and not just follow theirs, and I’m sure they’ll understand. You wanna be a what, professional bowler?”

“Doctor. You really think so?”

“Right, doctor. Sure, if you were my son I’d be proud of you. You actually wanna save lives and shit. If you were my dad’s son, however, uh,” Dream Nico thinks very hard. “I don’t even know if he’ll be proud of you. Nothing has ever stirred his emotions ever since the bat nosedived into the cake except for Persephone.”

“What?”

“Why, wuh I say?”

“You said the bat nosedived into the cake except for Persephone.”

“Ah, sorry. Haven’t slept in like thirty-eight hours. I’m so fucking tired. Thank fuck we only have a week left.”

“You should stop eating that cake and get some rest instead.”

“Right. But I’m telling you, you should talk to your parents. You have kind eyes, I’m sure you’ll do amazing things once you’re a doctor. Do you want to study anthropology?”

Dream him blushes then laughs. “If they’d let me, I wanna be an oncologist. Pediatric oncologist if you wanna get into specifics.”

Dream Nico squints and gives him the plate of ‘untouched’ cake. “Either that has something to do with the stomach or it’s made up. Again, sorry, not firing all cylinders.”

“It’s alright, I understand. Doctors for stomachs are called Gastroenterologists. Oncologists are doctors for cancer.”

“Ah, so pediatric oncology is like for kids with cancer, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. You’d do great there.”

Dream him is flushed from his head down to his chest, he’s sure of it. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

The conversation he had with Nico 8 years ago was longer and more personal, vastly different from what’s going on in this dream, but Nico did say the words he had said in this warped version of reality.

“Hey, kiddo! Let’s go!” A voice calls out. He looks behind but is just met with swirls and blobs of colors, like that of a bubble. This has already happened and he’s had the same dream (the aging up is new though) for at least twice a month ever since so he knows it’s his dad even though he can’t see him.

He turns back to Dream Nico. “I have to go now. Can I talk to you again?”

“Sure. See you later, kid.”

  
  


With eyes bleary from sleep, Will opens his eyes to the new day with the memories of his dream rapidly leaving his unfocused mind. He looks at himself and notices he’s still wearing his clothes from last night. Heaving a sigh, he stands up and drags himself to the bathroom. It’s Christmas eve and they have a lot of things to do.

  
  


********

  
  


“Kids wake up! You have to help me with the food!” The high pitched voice of Penny from downstairs is deafening in Nico’s quiet room. He groans and smothers himself with his pillow. Mrs. O’Leary thwacks her tail on the bed.

“Stop calling us kids, what the fuck,” he tells no one and reluctantly gets off the bed. Mrs. O’Leary follows. Nico blindly grabs a shirt and changes quickly so he can leave as soon as fucking possible. When he’s done, he puts a leash on Mrs. O’Leary and they’re out of his room. He avoids his stepmom, jumps into his car, and drives away. It’s Hazel’s turn to ‘spend time’ with Penny anyway since he did it yesterday.

Their back in their childhood home for Christmas as per Penny’s request. Hazel told him that after he and Travis left, Penny dropped by to congratulate her and asked the two of them if they could celebrate Christmas with their dad. It was a question, she said, but Penny delivered it with unmasked intent that she’s not taking no for an answer so, though unwilling, she agreed. 

And here they are.

Penny and his dad married over the summer (didn’t even think to invite them. He wouldn’t go but it’s always nice to receive something in the mail other than bills and flyers), and with Christmas being her first holiday as a ‘wife’ (they don’t celebrate thanksgiving anymore), she wanted to  _ bring the whole family together _ for a nice dinner.

Frank wasn’t invited but Hazel forced him to come since he’s  _ technically _ a part of the family now. Penny made him sleep in the guest bedroom.

Nico would invite Travis and Connor but he would rather break his own arm than subject someone, not even the Stolls, to dinner with Penny and Henry di Angelo.

His phone plays his ringtone for Hazel. He puts on an earbud and hits accept. “Hey.”

“Don’t ‘hey’ me. Where are you?”

“Taking Mrs. O’Leary for a walk.”

“Why’d you bring your car then?”

“Gonna take her to the grooming place after.”

Hazel grunts on the other side. “Hurry up, okay? I don’t wanna get left alone with her.”

“Wake Frank then. He likes talking to weird ladies, right? Let him spend time with her, you know, so he’d know his future stepmom-in-law.”

“Har har. Just hurry up, okay? I don’t want to stay in the kitchen all day.”

“Gotcha.” Hazel hangs up. He desperately wants to hang out with his friends(!!!) but plans have changed at the last minute so.

After the run, Nico brings Mrs. O’Leary straight to the groomers as he told Hazel. Plus she’s going to shave his head if he comes back with Mrs. O’Leary still looking like a sheepdog. It’s the same place he’s brought her to since she was 4 years old. She already knows most of the employees there and is already fine being left alone. He hangs around in a nearby cafe while waiting. He pulls out his phone and reads a few emails and texts he’s received since last night.

**Shayne (manager 👽)**   
Pictures are out. Don’t go to twitter yet  **8:34**   
What am I even saying of course you’ll go to twitter.   
Do not and I repeat DO NOT interact with anyone   
yet. Send duck shit  **8:38**   
I’m gonna send you something to say later.  **8:40**

Nico quickly logs on to his lurker account and clicks several profiles until he sees the hashtag  _ ‘stantonio’ _ . He  _ refuses _ to type his own damn name in the search box.

They’re clear pictures alright, and there are only six of them: Travis coming out with the hot chocolate, Travis on his side looking at Nico while talking, Travis with his mouth open from laughing, Nico trapped between the loveseat and Travis, and the last two pictures are of them kissing. Thank fuck there’s no sign of him on Travis’ lap because that would just be obscene. 

Based on the angles, Cat must’ve been in the building across from Nico's place. It’s an office building so it’s probably easy to gain access to the rooftop or whatever. She could also be using a drone. Whatever it was, it got pretty good pictures.

Nico scrolls through the comments, likes several, even sees a couple of crops from behind-the-scenes and bloopers their marketing team has posted. He chuckles at some of the pictures since at least 99% of the fans could not tell the Stolls apart. They post pictures of Connor when they mean Travis, and share pictures of Connor with his arms around him thinking it’s Travis.

A few users also noted how Travis  _ looks _ at him. He doesn’t look that different in literally all the times Nico has seen him but people have other interpretations. Based on literally 3 pictures since the last two had their eyes closed and the other one had Travis laughing his ass off, Travis looks at him with unabashed affection. And that’s enough for people to ‘root’ for their ‘alleged’ relationship.

The last tweet makes Nico push away his half-eaten croissant. He takes one last sip of his coffee before losing interest in it as well.

When did Travis start looking at him like that? Assuming those people were right, of course. He said he was ‘thinking’, but what if he was thinking about it for a longer time? Was the conversation that happened in his bed not impulsive at all?

He scans the Rolodex that is his memory for tell-tale signs of… whatever the fuck he’s looking for, like suspiciously long touches or any kisses with a hint of tenderness (affection?) behind it. Any behavior that is too un-fuckbuddy-like. 

When he thinks of none, Nico opens his camera roll and browses at their photos, still trying to see if there’s a ‘hint’ of the ‘the look’ people in his mentions are saying. He’s got plenty of them, especially the three of them drinking and hanging around in their apartment. There are also a few drunken videos of him and Travis making out, courtesy of an equally drunk Connor. He never deletes them just because.

All the pictures he has are of them making ugly faces.

Then he finds it. It’s easy to miss it if a person doesn’t know what they’re looking for, but fortunately, it’s what he’s trying to find for the past fifteen minutes.

It’s a picture of the three of them (it’s why it took him a long time to find it since he’s been skipping photos with all three of them), plastered out of their minds. A year and a half after they started their arrangement. The photo isn’t even focused and all of them are way off center, but Travis is there, looking softly at Nico. Or at someone behind him. Of course there could be  _ tons  _ of reasons why Travis looks like he just saw a kitten nuzzling a puppy. Or maybe he’s just one of those people who looks blasted when they’re drunk (he knew several people who looked high while drunk) but Nico’s mind is only supplying an endless litany of  _ he likes you he likes you  _ and it is  _ deafening. _

He wants to see it for himself, proof if you may, but he doesn’t know how. He facetimes Travis. He doesn’t answer then his phone beeps a moment later.

**Travis S.**   
Please dont facetime me  **8:41**

Okay. That’s as good a start as any. Will used to answer his calls no matter where he is, except when he’s at the hospital, of course. But Nico never did that, that’s why all their calls always happen at 8:45 PM or later. 

**Me**   
Noted.  **8:42**   
Wanna have dinner with me?  **8:42**

Is it a good idea to invite him to his childhood home this early in their relationship? Fuck it, he’s not gonna back out. He’s not good with personal decisions anyway, why start now?

**Travis S.**   
🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨  **8:45**   
R u sick or sumn?  **8:46**

**Me**   
No. Just asking.  **8:47**   
Do you want to have dinner    
with me or not?  **8:47**

**Travis S.**   
What like tonight?  **8:47**

**Me**   
Yes. In our house.  **8:48**

**Travis S.**   
CHRISTMAS DINNER?! WITH YOUR   
FAMILY?!  **8:49**

**Me**   
Yes.  **8:50**

**Travis S.**   
😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮   
😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮  **8:52**   
Sorry I was still under the   
impression that u dont want   
us hanging w other ppl around  **8:53**   
Esp w hazel present  **8:53**

**Me**   
What? When did I give you that notion?  **8:54**

**Travis S.**  
Idk. Rule no. 2 & 7? **8:55**

**Me**  
Those were just the standard  
“nobody can know” rules **8:56**

**Travis S.**   
Yeah why do u think I dont   
go ANYWHERE near u when   
hazels around?  **8:58**

**Me**   
I don’t know. Cuz she doesn’t like you?  **8:58**

**Travis S.**   
Please. Im a joy to be around.  **8:59**

**Me**   
No, she genuinely doesn’t like you.  **9:00**   
She thinks you’re annoying.  **9:00**

**Travis S.**   
Fuck rly?  **9:00**

**Me**   
Yeah.  **9:00**

**Travis S.**   
Oh ok I guess I gotta turn the charm on   
later then? Gonna charm the panties off   
ur little sister  **9:01**

**Me**   
Gross. You know she’s engaged, right?   
You were fucking there.  **9:02**   
Really? You’re gonna come?  **9:02**

**Travis S.**   
Sure. Connors gonna be w celeste anyway  **9:03**

**Me**   
Celeste?  **9:03**

**Travis S.**   
His girlfriend  **9:04**

**Me**   
WHEN?!  **9:04**

**Travis S.** **  
** **🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 9:04**   
Last july????  **9:05**

**Me**   
July?! Why is nobody   
telling me anything?!  **9:06**

**Travis S.**   
We havent exactly spent that much    
time together after u became part   
of the cast  **9:07**

**Me**   
Ah yeah. My bad. It got super busy  **9:08**

**Travis S**.  
I know. Thats why I dated noah **9:09**  
Anyway i’ll text u later. Im third  
wheeling the kids we’re abt  
to watch a movie **9:10**

**Me**  
🙄 **9:10**  
I can take a hint. **9:11**  
See you later. **9:11**

**Travis S.**   
😘😘😘😘😘  **9:11**

Nico sighs and locks his phone. He tries to finish his coffee but it’s gone cold and he doesn’t have the patience and jaw power to finish his croissant so he leaves. He picks up Mrs. O’Leary from the groomers and does a few last-minute shopping before going home. The three gifts in his closet are something that Travis, Connor, and this Celeste person cannot use anyway. Unless she’s a medical professional of course.

“Nicholas! So nice of you to join us today.” Penny greets him as he enters the foyer. “Why don’t you help your sister with the turkey in the kitchen, hm? She needs an extra pair of hands.”

“Frank’s there, let him be the extra pair of hands she  _ desperately  _ needs. And for the last time, do not call me Nicholas. It’s weird and literally nobody calls me that. No one’s  _ ever _ called me that.”

“Oh, but I do. That’s your name, isn’t it?” She pinches her eyebrows together and continues, still holding breakfast pastries for brunch. “So get used to it, hm, Nicholas?”

Nico visibly cringes and climbs the stairs, Mrs. O’Leary trailing behind him. “Stop behaving like a teenager, Nicholas, you’re almost thirty. Have some shame!” Nico slams the door behind him. He can behave like a teenager if he pleases, thank you very much.

Ignoring the incessant yelling of his stepmom downstairs, he wraps the gifts he bought hastily. He bought both Travis and Connor wireless headphones because for some reason they still like it, and most of their things are the same anyway. And for Connor’s girlfriend, since he literally doesn’t know anything about her, a purse. 

When he’s done, he stashes them in his closet and as he closes the doors, a box falls out. He picks it up and examines it. It’s one of the three stethoscopes he bought on a whim three months ago for Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil. He licks his lips, puts it back, and finally closes the closet. But one more glance at the white doors of his dresser and he’s taking them all out and stuffing them in a bag. He whistles at Mrs. O’Leary to follow him and he’s out of his room again rushing downstairs to the front door.

“Where are you going?!” Penny asks.

“Up your ass.” Penny opens her mouth for a reply but he’s already out the door so he never hears any of it. He gets inside his car and drives off before Penny could stop him. When he’s far enough, he pulls over and takes out his phone. He clicks the call button to Lou Ellen before he changes his mind.

She answers after the third ring.  _ “What?!” _

“Hey, Lou Ellen. Are you still in the city?”

_ “What do you think?” _

“I don’t know, are you from here?”

_ “God, fucking help me.” _ She mutters.  _ “What do you want? You wanna ruin Christmas for Will too?” _

“No!” He yells, startling his dog. He clears his throat and repeats himself in a more calm tone. “No. I… I just wanna give you something. I swear I’m not gonna try and talk to Will. I wanna give them to you.”

Lou Ellen is silent, probably deciding if it’s a good idea to meet him today. If she declines, it fucking sucks, he guesses.  _ “Why?” _ She finally speaks.

“Because I bought them couple’a months ago. It’s too late to return them now and it’d be a pain to try and sell them.”

_ “Give them to your friends then.” _

“All my friends work in entertainment. These are… industry-specific items.”

She sighs on the other line.  _ “Fine. Meet me at Niku in 15 minutes. I have to go--” _

“Wait, wait, wait, where’s that?”

_ “Figure it out.” _

Nico looks at Mrs. O’Leary who’s looking at him expectantly. She cocks her head to the side wondering what’s going on. Nico pets her head and drives off once more to find whatever the hell Niku is.

Niku is a fancy restaurant it turns out, and he can already see Lou Ellen waiting with an annoyed face before he can even park. He brings Mrs. O’Leary with him in hopes of cheering her up. Sure enough, her shoulders do a little jump when she sees her, then their eyes meet and it’s all over. 

“Hi,” he greets, trying to keep everything a little lighter by being the smiling person for once. She doesn’t respond. “Okay,” he whispers to himself. “I, uh, I wanna give you this.” Nico hands over the bag with three beautifully wrapped presents inside. She looks at it before putting it down. “What’s in the bag,” a question but phrased like a demand. 

“Christmas gifts.”

“I know that, but what’s  _ in _ the bag,”

“Guess you gotta open it to know,” he chuckles awkwardly and adjusts his collar. He’s lived almost three decades without royally pissing off a woman, so forgive him if he doesn’t know what to do when one is practically just waiting for him to breathe wrong to claw his eyes out for hurting her friend. 

But you can’t go wrong with an apology, right? “I’m sorry.” He shifts from foot to foot and continues. “He can do whatever he wants with it, by the way. You and Cecil as well. You’re not obligated to use it or whatever. You can throw it if you want.”

Lou Ellen is still scowling but her shoulders are less tense than they were before. When she doesn’t answer, he continues. “I know I said I’m going to talk to him, and I did! I swear I did. But we were just… not on the same page.” The words leave a bitter taste in his mouth but he ignores it. Lou Ellen rolls her eyes but doesn’t say anything. “I did like you and Cecil and I kind of considered you as friends. That’s why I’m giving you this. Sorry it had to end this way.” 

He whistles at Mrs. O’Leary to go to Lou Ellen which she instantly does. She licks her hand and nuzzles her fluffy head onto her leg. When Lou Ellen’s lip starts to tremble, he knows he won. It’s a cheap ploy, using his dog to make her ease up, but extremely effective. Lou Ellen drops to her knees and pets Mrs. O’Leary until her tail is wagging so fast she might sprain it.

“This means nothing. I’m still mad at you for doing that to Will.” She glares at him while still kissing Mrs. O’Leary’s cheeks.

“I know. I just want you to talk to me.” He bites his lip and shifts to his heel. “How is he, by the way?”

“Fuck you, I’m not answering that.”

“Fair enough.”

Lou Ellen stands up, giving Mrs. O’Leary one last hug before doing so. “I have to go.” She says. “Thank you for this. I was thinking of buying you a present two weeks ago. Then you hurt my friend so none for you.”

“It’s fine. I understand.” Nico whistles for Mrs. O’Leary again and she walks back to his side. “Merry Christmas, Lou Ellen.” She just nods and walks away with the bag hanging from her hand.

“Guess that turned out fine.” He says to his dog. She only whines and sniffs his hand.

Nico’s phone rings in his pocket. It’s Travis. “Yes?”

_ “Movie’s done! Where are you?”  _

“I’m at Niku’s.”

“Mkay, I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay. See you soon.” Travis makes kissy noises then hangs up.

“You took a cab? I could’ve picked you up.” Nico says as soon as Travis is close enough. He almost jumps when Travis curls an arm around his hips, pulls him in and kisses him on the lips in broad daylight, even managing to slip in a little tongue. “Woah!”

“What?”

“You kissed me. On the mouth. Outside.”

“Yeah. You’re my boyfriend.” He chuckles at Nico’s scandalized face. “Are you not… comfortable with it?”

Nico bites his lips. Is he uncomfortable with it? Nobody’s ever done that before. Even when he and Jason were still dating, they never kissed outside the privacy of their homes. Always in closed spaces, away from the eyes of strangers. Will kissed him all the time but, like Jason, it’s always inside his home. Or that one time in the empty field. Or in The Circle. His heart hammers in his chest. He wonders what it would feel like to kiss Will under the warm sun.

“N-no. I, uh, I guess I’m fine with it.” He answers shyly. 

“Cool.” Travis kisses him again. He kisses back automatically. Travis kisses both his cheeks before pulling away. “Shall we?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Ah wait, before we go. Check this out,” he gets his phone from his pocket and shows Nico his twitter feed. “I saw this earlier, thought I’d show it to you.”

“Good, yeah? They’re not saying anything bad so that’s a win, right?”

“Sure. Yeah.” He says, still distracted by Travis' arm around his hips. Mrs. O'Leary tries to put herself between them. 

“Alright. Come on, let’s go hang out with your scary dad and his hot girlfriend!”

“Wife.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s wife now. They got married last summer.”

“Oh. ” Travis looks genuinely surprised. “I’m assuming that’s great... right?”

Nico shrugs. “I dunno.”

“Aw, come on. It’s fine, babe. It’s just a wedding! Just a dumb piece of paper. You can get one right now and have it lose its validity tomorrow! Tell you what, I bet your dad and your hot stepmom will get a divorce this time next year.”

Nico doesn’t tell him Penny and his dad have been together for almost a decade now. It’s unlikely that they’d break up anytime soon.

“Yeah, you’re right.” He answers just to shut him up. 

“Babe, I gotta say, I’m really liking this new development in our relationship. Do you?”

Second ‘babe’. “Hm, do I what?”

“I asked if you like this new development in our relation-- you know what, never mind. Let’s go back to your house. Sounds good?”

“Yeah, of course.” Nico tugs gently on Mrs. O’Leary’s leash, just enough to tell her they’re going and gives a little prayer to the universe for everything to run smoothly later.

  
  


********

  
  


“Hey, Will. How you doin’ buddy? Are you having a great Christmas?” Lou Ellen’s voice is unusually high pitched from the other side of the line.

“Yeah… I’m here at Katie’s.” Will looks around him, looking for any signs of Katie. He is outside since lunch is being served in their orangery. But Katie still hasn’t shown up, probably still picking clothes upstairs. He doesn’t want to show up alone in the orangery in fear of getting interrogated by her parents. Perhaps if they get in together, Dina would be too preoccupied to ask him personal questions. “You’re being weird. Are you okay?”

“Yeah! I’m fine! Why wouldn’t I be? It’s Christmas!”

“Yeah, I know!” He gives a sarcastic laugh. “You’re all pitchy and I bet you ten bucks you’re smiling too much.”

“Noooo! I’m not!” A beat. “Okay maybe, but I got a good reason why.”

“Did Gracie finally call you?”

“God, I wish. But no. This is not about Gracie.” Her voice suddenly sterns it almost frightens Will.

His mind immediately runs through various scenarios, all of which ends up with his friend in the hospital or worse. “You’re making me nervous, Lou, what is it? Are you hurt? Are you in the hospital?” He starts pacing back and forth that Katie’s siblings both look at him in confusion.

“No, no, I’m fine. I’m at home.” Okay, at least his friend isn’t injured. “I... ” she pauses for a long time. Will bites his lip. “I, uh, I’m planning to adopt a dog!” She squeals suddenly. Will pulls back the phone from his ear to wince.

The breath he releases is like a weight off his shoulders. He pumps his fist in the air that startles Meg. “Sweet baby Jesus, you fucking scared me!” He instantly covers his mouth, slapping himself in the process, for fear that the kids would adopt his language. The twins don't seem to mind him though. He moves a couple of steps away just in case another ‘no-no word’ comes tumbling out of his mouth. 

“Yeah, ha ha! Gotcha! Scared you, didn’t I?” 

“You did, you did. I hate you.”

“No you don’t. So, what’re you gonna do now?”

Something tells Will that Lou Ellen is only asking for the sake of letting the conversation continue. That she really does not give a rat’s ass with what Will is going to do, she only needs to say anything or she’d blurt out something off-limits. Whatever it is that Lou Ellen is trying to hide, he’s not interested. “Have lunch with Katie’s family.”

“Hm. You know how I feel with this, Will.”

“I know.”

“Guess I’ll see you next year.”

“Yeah. Merry Christmas, Lou.”

“Merry Christmas, Will. Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”

“I’m no--” She hangs up. “Rude, but fine.”

Will sits on a rock and scrolls through his SNS while waiting to be called. He browses through his facebook, likes a bunch of posts from his relatives, sends a couple of ‘Merry Christmas!’, and closes the app. He checks his discord for any news about their rounds, then his emails, and exits after he deletes a couple of spam messages. He debates going through twitter but his boredom overpowers his self-control so he opens it and scrolls and scrolls and scrolls until he’s bored again.

Will moves back near Meg and Steve who are now playing with plants. He watches them grind petals, cut leaves, and squeeze them for juices. Then Meg puts the disgusting-looking bits and pieces of flowers and grass in a bowl-shaped leaf, tosses it up a little bit, drizzles some of the weird-smelling brown flower juice, and gives it to Steve to pretend to eat. Steve happily ‘eats’ what she prepared. He dumps them in a small garbage bag right after. Meg repeats her process one more time and gives the bowl to Will.

“Here you go. Eat.” She says, commanding. She looks determined to not leave his side until he takes a ‘bite’. Will accepts it reluctantly. The leafy smell of probably dying plant cells (forgive him, he’s not a botanist) permeates the air like a dried fish that’s been left under the sun for too long. Will barely stops himself from gagging.

“Uh, sure. Thanks… Meg.” He smiles at her warily. Meg kind of scares Will, if he’s being honest, but she’s only 7 years old so there’s still plenty of time to gently ‘nudge’ her to the other direction of the road she’s trying to take, right? 

“Eat it.” She says again. “Take a bite.”

Will picks up a sad-looking petal and pretends to eat it. “Yum!” He grimaced. He must’ve done something right because Meg’s scowling face turns bright as she smiles. She takes back the leaf bowl and returns to her brother who’s cutting more leaves for an even bigger leaf bowl. 

Worried he has to pretend to eat more child-mushed plant food, Will goes back inside the house to fetch Katie. He whistles as he navigates his way around their large house, even managing to say hi to a few of her mother’s staff in the kitchen. He goes up the stairs with bounce on his feet and stops in front of her door. “Kates, are you done?”

“Just a sec!” She calls out. “But if you wanna help, please come in!”

“‘Kay, I’m coming in.” He twists the doorknob open, expecting Katie to be distracted on her phone. What he doesn’t anticipate is her still rummaging her closet for something to wear. “You’re still in shorts, I see.”

“Ugh. Help me, please? I have no idea what to wear,” She stomps a foot then goes back to ransacking her closet.

“I don’t have much to suggest. I just grabbed whatever that’s pressed inside my dresser.”

“Shut up, you’re hot. You can wear a garbage bag and bathe in grease and mom would still call you handsome.” Katie’s phone rings. Her mom, possibly wondering where the hell are the two of them.

“Ugh.” She groans. “Will you please talk to her? I don’t wanna listen to her nagging right now.” Katie hands her phone to Will which he grudgingly takes.

“So you want  _ me _ to listen to her nagging instead.”

“Oh please, I told you she likes you. I bet she’d just say something like, ‘oh Wilhelm, please come down here with Katie as soon as you’re both ready, okay? No rush!’” She says, doing a terrible impression of her mom. 

Will grumbles some more but answers it in the end. “Hey, Dina.”

“Wilhelm, are you with Katherine?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Katie sticks her tongue out at him in the mirror.

“Great. Please tell her to get her ass down here as soon as she’s done, hm?”

“Absolutely.” Then she hangs up. “Your mom said to get your ass down there as soon as you’re done.”

Katie laughs. “Shut up, Wilhelm. Hey, what do you think of this,” She places a pink dress in front of her. “Should I go with this satin one or,” she holds up another pink dress in front of her “this tulle one?” Katie blows a piece of stray hair away from her face. A pink hue blooms on her cheeks when he tucks it behind her ear.

Back when they were dating, Will loved looking at Katie’s long brown hair cascading down her back. It is one of her features he loved so much, and he used to tell her so. He would brush his fingers through them, massaging her scalp when everything got stressful, tuck it behind her ears, twirl it in his fingers, and pull it back during sex. 

She cut her hair a couple of inches shorter a few weeks after they broke up. It was a shame but he didn’t mind. They weren’t dating anymore so his thoughts about her hair didn’t matter.

Her hair is longer now compared before, almost the same length as what she had when they were still together. She braids it when they’re on duty at the hospital.

Her soft brown hair is already up in a messy do although he’s positive she’d look even more beautiful with her hair down.

“Which do you like better?”

“Both, honestly. I like the tulle, and these flowers in front, and the bow. But I also like the lace-up-- wait, I think this satin one is too open at the back. What do you think?”

“It  _ is _ kinda open but I dunno. You'd still look beautiful whatever you choose.”

“Will, that is so fucking sweet! Thank you. I think I’m gonna go with this tulle. Turn around?” She bats her eyelashes at him and starts unbuttoning her blouse. 

“Ah y-yeah, sure,” Will scrambles to turn his back to Katie so she could change peacefully. Wait, what? Why is he even here? He should go out, right? Is it too late to go out? “Uh, Kates?”

“Hm?” Will hears rustling of fabric so she’s probably naked right now. Nope, too late to go out now.

“Never mind.” Will bites his lip and looks around her stark white room with a splash of pink thrown here and there. He used to feel at ease in her room, like he could sleep soundly for twelve hours straight after an intense night of studying. It stopped being like that a long time ago.

The decors are mostly undisturbed since he was last here so the huge custom floral wallpaper is still on her wall. It has yellowed a little bit with age but still intact. The curtains are open too, letting most of the natural light in, giving her room an extra glow. It strangely reminds Will of a hospital room, but none of the actual vibe all hospital rooms seem to ooze. Katie’s room is just… clean.

“Are you hungry?” Katie asks behind him.

“Eh, not so much. You?”

“I could eat.” He hears the dull thud of stilettos hitting the carpeted floor. A moment later he feels Katie’s fingers ghosting on the slope between his neck and shoulder. “Zip me up? I can’t reach my back.”

“I thought you were doing yoga?”

“Yeah, but I’m in the early stages. My joints are brittle like an expired gum, ready to crumble at any moment.”

“What an alarming imagery.” Katie’s back is already turned when he faces her. The zipper opened all the way down her lower back, showing him the full expanse of her unblemished back. She’s not wearing a bra.

Overwhelmed by the sudden display, Will can’t help but touch smooth skin. The feather-light touch of his fingertips from the center of her back down to where the teeth of the zipper end makes her shudder. 

Katie reaches behind her and pulls him in until they’re pressed together. She turns, facing him, slowly sliding her pink tulle dress off her shoulders. He tracks the movement with his eye. She takes his hand and places it on her naked breast. It's small and perfect in his hand. He brushes a nipple with his thumb, earning a little moan from her. He pinches it, pulls it gently, and mouths her neck, licking and nipping her delicate skin until red blooms on her skin like the rouge on her lips.

He leans down, capturing the other bud between his lips and  _ sucks _ . Will secures an arm around her hips when Katie's knees almost buckle underneath her.

" _ Fuck _ , Will," she moans. It's familiar, yet so utterly different. "Touch me." And he does.

They didn’t get to do more than make out that night in his apartment. It was obvious that Katie wanted more but his heart just wasn't in it. So when she started grinding her hips down his own after they moved to the couch, he gently pushed her away, like what Nico always did. Katie was very understanding of course. She removed herself from his lap and sat down beside him. They watched a couple of episodes of Steven Universe with her curled on his side before driving her home when the clock struck 12.

The whole evening painfully reminded him of Nico and the moments he will never have again.

  
  


Will buttons his shirt back and smooths his pants, Katie's phone ringing nonstop on the bedside table. Katie huffs another irritated breath and turns off the device. They're already thirty minutes late, Will estimates. What are a few minutes more?

"Hey," Katie says, her hand on Will's clothed shoulder. Will squeezes her hand and kisses her knuckles. 

"Let's go," he says, standing up and making sure nothing's too wrinkled to be noticed at the dining table. "Your mom's gonna come barging in here if we don't show our faces within the next ten minutes." He extends a hand for her to take. 

With the blanket still wrapped around her hips, Katie takes his hand. Her long brown hair covering her shoulders down to her ribs as she stands. She pulls him in for a deep kiss before bending over obscenely to retrieve her discarded underwear, letting Will peek at her abused cunt. Will feels a rush of possessiveness wash over him, the phantom taste of her fluids on his tongue. Katie takes her time wearing her clothes again. She doesn't bother with her hair. 

"Let's go!" She wraps her arms around his when she’s done.

"Wait," Will sniffs the crook of her neck, she giggles. "We still smell like we just fucked." He bites the lobe of her ear.

"That's cus we did." She kisses him again. "Don't worry, mom's citrus trees are in full bloom in the orangery. They'll mask the scent of our sin."

Lunch goes unexpectedly well; nobody comments on their tardiness except for a stink eye directed at the both of them from Dina, Steve and Meg did not bring mushed plants on the table, Danny and Mira are as angry as any teenagers ought to be, and Eric is as nosy as ever.

However, nobody seems to have informed Eric not to speak everything that comes to his mind.

“So, Will, I noticed that my Katie here is being extra clingy with you today. Did that…  _ guy _ you’re dating finally found the right girl and left you? Or did you finally come to your senses and dumped him for my daughter?”

The scraping of utensils on plate halts and everybody stills except for Eric who is still happily eating his hot fudge cake. The staff even stops in their tracks and skitter back to the main house to avoid the sudden shift of atmosphere in the area. Will tenses in his seat, appetite suddenly gone and his mind whirring like a cheap toy threatening to break. His head swims.

Finally, Eric notices the lack of movement from his family and sole guest. “W-what?” He asks, licking his fork of chocolate.

“Eric, that wasn’t a nice thing to say,” Dina says, her voice low and a tad dangerous that Will almost doesn’t hear her.

“What did I say?” Eric squeaks defensively.

“What the hell, dad?!” Katie complains, then Danny and Mira follow with “Not cool, dad” and “That is  _ so _ fucking rude, what the fuck?!” Steve and Meg stare at their family arguing while dripping fudge all over themselves. 

Katie touches the crook of his elbow as a gesture of comfort while her teenage siblings hurl mild insults at their father. “Are you okay? I am so sorry about my dad!”

His sexuality has never been an issue for the people he’s dated before. Sure, he got some eye rolls and vexed huffs before for ““not admitting what he really is”” but never hostility. Katie knew he likes men even before they dated yet it still wasn’t an issue. 

Not everyone he meets has been accepting of his sexuality, but he’s glad and extremely thankful that he is surrounded by welcoming people. Until now, apparently.

Will is still in his seat processing what just happened. Katie’s hand is still on his arm and Eric, Danny, and Mira are still arguing. Dina, on the other hand, is making a little effort to subdue the situation.

“I was just making a joke!”

“And look where it got us. It’s Christmas, for fuck’s sake, dad!”

“It’s Jesus’ birthday and you’re being homophobic! God!”

“We’re not Catholics. Not even Christians.”

“Shut your homophobic ass dad!”

“Kids, stop ganging on your father. Eric, mind your fucking mouth next time.”

“It-it’s fine.” Will manages to speak after a while. “I was just surprised by the question is all.”

“It’s not fucking fine, Will,” Mira says, gripping her fork tight. She looks a few heartbeats away from stabbing someone in the eye.

“I’m sorry, Will. It’s not my intention to offend you,” says Eric. He has his plate pushed away and his wine glass empty. The frantic look in his eyes and the red flush of his cheeks confirms he’s drunk. “It was a genuine question is all.”

“Dad, that’s worse!” “You don’t ask someone that!” “Eric!”

“Oh my god, we’re fucking leaving! Jesus Christ, dad!” Katie pushes her plate away and stands up, banging her fists on the table. “Come on, Will. Let’s go.”

Will slowly removes the napkin from his lap and places it on the table. After giving the rest of the Gardners an apologizing look he follows Katie who’s already out of the orangery.

“God! Typical for my dad to ruin Christmas. I shouldn’t have convinced you to come.” She grumbles, kicking random rocks in her path.

“You’ll ruin your shoes.”

“I don’t fucking care about my shoes! I love you, okay?! I still love you and I don’t like seeing you get disrespected like that, not even by my own dad!”

The cold air on their walk back to his car has cleared Will’s head and calmed his insides, but Katie’s words gave him a new wave of anxiety, like a splash of cold water in the dead of winter. 

“Oh,” Will says. “I didn’t realize you still feel that way.”

“I never stopped.” Katie wraps her coat tighter around her body and steps in closer to him to take his hand. “I know I fucked up big time and I don’t deserve you anymore. What I did was unforgivable, and I paid for it by losing you. I hated myself for doing it, you know? Every time I see you I would ask myself ‘why did I fuck us up?’ And every time I would come up with the same answer: because I was selfish and greedy. I never considered your feelings. I only thought of mine.

“I was honestly terrified you’d get mad at me, push me away when I kissed you back at your apartment, but you didn’t. You kissed me just like the way you used to. You have no idea how happy that made me Will, that you still want me.” She closes the small distance between them by wrapping her arms around him, planting her cheek on his chest right above his heart. “I know you don’t love me anymore, and you won’t love me again anytime soon, but after what happened earlier in my room? How you held me? I do not doubt that you still feel something for me too.”

Will has read once somewhere that we are all a reflection of all the people we’ve loved. That we always carry a little piece of everyone we ever loved even when they’re no longer in our lives. But Will never believed in it. It may be true for some people but never for Will; he still makes his coffee the same way he liked when he was in fourth grade (black with one scoop of sugar), far from Lacy’s who liked hers with more milk and sugar than coffee, he still liked clothes with warm colors unlike Isaac who was fond of blues and purples and greens, he hated camping (and still swears to never  _ ever _ go into one) after being with Chiara who was  _ obsessed _ with it, and he still can’t keep a plant alive even after dating Katie.

His thing? He never stops loving them. In some way, at least.

He still thinks about Lacy and the foam on her nose every time he passes by a coffee shop. His eyes still find Isaac’s favorite aftershave every time he buys his own. He still remembers the tune of Chiara’s happy whistles every time he sees a family on their way to the woods.

(Nico seems to be the only exception for this, as he finds himself favoring animated shows instead of the action movies he liked with Cecil when he wants to lose himself in a show.)

Katie wasn’t wrong when she said he still feels something for her because it’s true. He doesn’t deny it. 

The love he feels for her may not burn as strongly as it had before, but the spark is still there. Maybe in time, it will grow into an ember.

  
  


Will’s gaze settles on Carrot in his terrarium, his orange skin barely visible in the dark. He sees him skitter around his terrarium, probably looking for something to eat. A sudden groan breaks him off his trance and he quickly looks beside him; Katie shifts and huddles closer, resting her head on his chest. Her warmth feels nice. 

The sudden beep of his phone disrupts the silence. His phone lights up, illuminating the wall beside it and Will almost chucks it from surprise. But Katie sleeps like a log so he quickly grabs it and unlocks it, ready to give the sender a good piece of his mind for texting him in the middle of the night.

It was Cecil on their group chat. The message was clearly for Lou Ellen but he sent it by mistake in their group chat.

Will takes a shaky breath and puts his phone inside his dresser as gently as he can. He pushes it close and presses the heels of his hands to his eyelids, like forcing the few tears that are threatening to appear back into his eyes.

He takes another shaky breath and tries not to move so much so Katie won’t stir. He manages but only for a few moments.

“Hey,” She whispers, her voice still thick with sleep. “You alright?” Will studies her in the dark. He can’t see her properly but his eyes have adjusted enough in the dark to make out the concerned furrow of her brows and the frown on her lips. She’s worried. 

Katie tries to rise from his chest but her arms must be too weak from being pulled away from sleep so suddenly that she easily gives up. Instead, she lifts her head as much as her neck would allow and plants a soft kiss on his neck. “Go to sleep, Will. You’ll feel better in the morning. If not, you can tell me what’s bothering you.” She rests her head again on his chest and cuddles into him.

The gesture warms Will’s heart a little. He smiles at her sleeping form and strokes her hair. She sighs happily and snuggles even closer.

Maybe it’s time he moves on, he thinks. It’s been only a few weeks since their falling out but maybe he could start finding his happiness already. It won’t be easy and it is going to take a long ass time to heal since he’ll be letting go 8 years of unrequited feelings but he thinks it’s going to be worth it in the end. He has his friends and family to support him, how hard can it be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are Katie's [satin](https://d111vui60acwyt.cloudfront.net/product_photos/56716730/TB21kvrwdFopuFjSZFHXXbSlXXa_!!1922096735_original.jpg) and [tulle](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2244/5817/products/qqw.3_800x.jpg?v=1569149542) dresses.
> 
> While this is my inspiration for her [room](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/593dbd66cd0f68786f421739/1547144360360-F2LV66GRVS2VEFDK5KLP/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kISO9WNtY_pZIHTrQxdL9YxZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIQuQZmu1qzA4ctiV1Sw0VnJ6XGV95fmM4QXctE-mMnJ4/floral3.png).
> 
> It's already 2:15 AM and I still have to wake up before 7 AM later so goodnight y'all!!
> 
> You can scream at me on [tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/alveolivioli).


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I know this is late but here it is. I have been looking at this for three days already and I am honestly tired. I'm very sorry for grammatical errors and probable pronoun inconsistencies. If you find any mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me 😁😁
> 
>  **CW:**  
>  \+ alcohol consumption  
> \+ mentions of vomit  
> \+ mentions of _killing_ a family member (just one line I swear)

“I wanna have a summer wedding.” Nico looks up from editing the script Grover gave him the other week, red pen in mouth and finger tapping steadily on the wooden table while Hazel browses wedding magazines and Pinterest for inspiration. 

“Come again?”

“I said I wanna have a summer wedding,” Hazel repeats. After the disastrous Christmas dinner at their house, Hazel has been hanging around with him more. Nico has no idea if it was because her sister felt bad for him after their dad practically threw Travis out of their house after catching them in his study in a few stages of undress, or she genuinely wants to hang out with him. He’s not complaining either way.

Nico goes back to the stack of paper in his hand. “Then have a summer wedding. Nobody’s telling you not to.”

“I want it this June.” She blows a raspberry.

“This June?” She lifts an eyebrow in response. “That soon?”

“Yeah, why not? I love Frank, and it’s not like I’m gonna change my mind. If I can have my way I’d go to the city hall with Frank right now and marry the shit out of him.”

“Ew. Don’t say that.”

She shrugs. “Relax, I’m not gonna marry him right now. It’s January. I wanna wear this kind of dress.” Hazel shifts the laptop and clicks on the photo. He can’t see much of the photo but it looks nice enough. “Cute and simple, right?”

“Uh-huh,” he says skeptically. “You’ll get cold.”

She rolls her eyes. “Summer wedding, remember?”

“Whatever you want, sis. I’m just here to help you.”

“You sound like Frank.”

“Of course. We’re both men, what do you expect from us?”

The silence afterward is welcomed; Nico finishes a few pages and confirms a voice acting gig from Dottie, while Hazel answers a few emails, cancels some subscriptions, and wins bidding of a vintage clock for her new home.

“So...” Hazel starts after a while. “What are you gonna do for your big ‘ol three-oh?”

Nico groans exaggeratedly. “Don’t remind me.”

“Holy crap, Nico, you’re old! You’re in your 30s!” She giggles and closes her laptop. “I can’t believe you’re turning 30 in like a week!”

“Shut up! Bother your man, he’s turning 30 this year too!”

“Yeah, but that’s not happening soon. And he doesn’t look 19.”

“Stop mocking me, we have the same genes.”

“I don’t mind getting carded every now and then. It boosts my ego.”

“You’re so weird.”

“Anyway, what are you doing on your birthday?”

“I dunno. Travis mentioned something about dinner. Maybe I’ll just stay in bed, drink hot chocolate, have sex. Depends on my mood at that time.”

“Travis? Dinner? That’s unlikely. I don’t think I ever saw them sit quietly for more than 5 minutes. How’s he treating you, by the way?”

“Fine, I guess. Nothing’s really changed except he kisses me now in front of you, which is still weird. We never did that before, being fuck buddies and all.”

Hazel waves her hand in front of her, trying to dismiss what Nico just said. “Yeah, I get it, I get it. You don’t have to tell me all about your sex life. It’s already bad enough that I saw him ass out last Christmas, I don’t wanna hear anything more.”

“You asked. He does have a nice ass, no?”

“Ugh.”

“What do you want me to say? He fucks me well, I can’t complain.”

Hazel’s face twists in disgust. “That’s all you do? You don’t go on dates or anything? I thought you said Connor has a girlfriend? You could do double dates together.”

“And let them loose in a restaurant? No, thank you. I don’t wanna bail them out, or worse, get arrested with them.” Nico fiddles with his pen, twirling it with his fingers before setting it right so he could mark something in the script he’s working on.

Travis has tried twice or thrice to take him out on a proper date but it always ends up with them getting kicked out of the place because apparently, they’re ‘too loud’ or ‘disturbing the wholesome ambience of the establishment’. He understood the loud part since they’re _both_ loud, especially when they’re competing on something. It’s why they’re friends in the first place. What he was confused about was the ‘disturbing the wholesome ambience’ thing. Sure, they were in a family restaurant. And yeah, they were fighting and they both might have dropped a few insults to each other that would definitely earn them a mouthful of soap from his grand aunt Alecto, but they made up after. That’s what’s important, right?

“Nah. Not really our style.” He says, not meeting his sister’s eyes. “We mostly just stay in and watch shit on tv.”

“How long have you been dating now?”

Nico squints. “Three weeks? Almost a month. Why?”

“Nothing.” Hazel says. She drops the whole thing and continues searching for dresses on Instagram and Pinterest. 

Nico knows what she’s thinking, or at least has a little clue what’s in her mind. She’s thinking about their first month together as a couple, she and Frank, how they were all over each other, and how often they would disappear to spend their free time together. They were sickening the first two months they were dating. A total opposite with him and Travis.

After the disastrous Christmas dinner, Travis has contacted him a total of _three times;_ 1) sent him a nude three days after he got kicked out of the house, 2) called in to greet him a happy new year, and 3) texted him a screenshot of a meme. It was so fucking bizarre he couldn’t even find it in himself to get mad.

The thing is Nico doesn’t know how to behave in a relationship. He’s been single for most of his life that his opinion about what should be done is questionable at best. Is he supposed to get mad at Travis for not calling? Should _he_ call Travis and plan to spend the night? If Travis isn’t making an effort, why should he?

He’s only dated three people; Percy, Jason, and Travis. The time between Jason and Travis is way too long so his ‘relationship skills’ are, to say the least, rusty. 

He dated Percy for 7 months, Jason for a year, and Travis for exactly 29 days and counting. He was a tad obsessed with Percy before and Percy couldn't say no to him so they did whatever he wanted (except sex. Percy was adamant about not having sex until he's old enough but they never lasted long). Jason, on the other hand, was an attentive lover but he was more into Nico than Nico was with him. He and Travis still behave like they used to, only Travis stays over now and spoons the shit out of him. He likes it enough. It reminds him of Will for some reason. 

Nico shakes his head slightly to get rid of the memory.

“Do you have any plans for the honeymoon?” Nico doesn’t wanna know, but he needs something for distraction.

“We haven’t talked about it yet. Maybe I’ll open it up to him later, see if he has suggestions.”

Ah fuck it. Nico texts Travis for good measure.

 **Me**   
Hey **16:22**

 **Travis S** .   
Hey!!!! **16:22**

 **Me**   
Wanna hang in my place tonight? **16:23**

 **Travis S.**   
Sounds awesome. Whats up? **16:24**

 **Me**   
Nothing. I just thought we haven’t   
spent time together after what happened   
at home **16:25**   
And you only texted me 3 times since then **16:25**

 **Travis S.**   
Yeah i thought you dont like me texting  
you that much **16:25**

 **Me**   
I don’t mind it but this is the most   
we’ve been texting don’t you think? I   
usually just go to your department   
if I want to talk. Or call. **16:27**   
And we don’t hang out alone, always with   
Connor or the others **16:27**

 **Travis S.**   
It’s fine if u dont text me since u answer   
everytime i call. Thats whats important **16:28**

 **Me**   
Fine. Fuck me for making   
an effort geez **16:29**

 **Travis S.**   
No no!!!! I like it. Im coming over   
later, just have to finish smth **16:31**

 **Me**   
Okay. Bring food please **16:33**

 **Travis S.**  
👍 **16:36**

“Are you texting Travis right now?”

“Yeah. He’ll come over later. Do you mind?”

“Not at all.” She looks at her watch. “I actually have to go in a while,”

“Aw, why? You really hate Travis that much?”

“No! Who told you that?” Hazel closes her laptop. “I gotta go meet Frank and his friends. They’re having a late celebration for our engagement. Plus it’s been years since I last hung out with Gwen and the others.” Hazel gathers her belongings and stuffs them inside her shoulder bag.

“I thought you were leaving in a while?”

“Yeah, it’s been _a while._ Haha, just kidding. I still have to change.” She stands up and kisses her brother on the cheek. “Have fun with Travis, okay? And go on dates. Please.”

***

Nico wakes up on his birthday with a frown on his face. 

He’s 30. 

If you ask preteen him what he’s doing at thirty, preteen him would have laughed and walked away because you don’t think ahead when you’re 12. You just get on with your day and hope somebody falls on their ass in class so you could all have a good laugh.

He has _no idea_ what to do now that he’s 30. He always thought you’d get your shit together in your late 20s, yet here he is, just turned 30 and doesn’t have a lick of clue what to do. Should he continue fucking around? Break up with Travis and run away to Northern Italy to make Gorgonzola? Settle down? More on that later but should he start doing skincare, specifically eye cream? Someone tell him what to do, please! 

“Hey, gorgeous. Good morning,” Travis kisses the back of his neck and shoulder. Nico stretches and reaches to the back of Travis’ head to tug the hairs gently. “Morning.” He replies.

“Happy birthday,” Travis trails kisses from his neck down to his back. He pecks a few more kisses down to the globes of his ass and playfully bites one. Nico yelps in surprise.

“What in the… Travis!”

Travis giggles and smoothes the bite mark with his tongue. “On your stomach, babe. You gotta start the day feeling good.”

Nico obliges. He’s not in the mood but he humors Travis since he looks so eager to please him so early in the morning.

Thirty minutes and a powerful orgasm later he’s up and running like a caffeinated cat; he does some groceries, cleans his place, sends a few work-related emails, and takes Mrs. O’Leary for a short walk outside. Who knew being 30 could give you more energy? This might be temporary, though. After all, he was just 29 last night. This just might be the residual energy of a 29-year-old.

By 3 PM, he and Mrs. O’Leary are about to go home when his phone rings. High on endorphins, he answers it with a chippy ‘hello’.

“Hey, babe,”

“What’s up, Trav?”

“Um, how do I say this, uh, I miiiight have done something stupid that I couldn’t get out of since I made this plan way before we started dating and I-”

“What is it, Travis? I’m with Mrs. O’Leary right now, we’re out on a run. We’re congesting the sidewalk.” He says as he pulls Mrs. O’Leary away from the traffic of people. She follows obediently, lolling his tongue out while staying close to him. A few people _coos_ and _awws_ at her.

“Right, Connor and I made plans to go to Oregon.”

Nico wets his lips. “What’s in Oregon?”

“We don’t know! That’s the beauty of it. Tickets were cheap a few months ago so we decided to, you know, be spontaneous for once.” 

Nico rolls his eyes. They’re always fucking spontaneous he’s not even surprised anymore that Travis is bailing on him. Even to things that are supposed to be planned meticulously they just wing it. “Fine.” He says.

“Cool. You want me to send you the flight details so you’d know I’m not lying?”

“No need. I believe you.” He weirdly does.

“You’re not mad I didn’t do anything for your birthday?” His voice oddly skeptical. “Dude, today’s your thirtieth.”

“I honestly don’t. I’m not expecting anything, actually. If it weren’t for this morning I definitely would’ve thought you forgot. It was a great way to start the day though.”

“Yeah? You liked what I did?”

His phone vibrates. He ignores it.

“Very much so. I still feel your tongue in me if I think hard enough.” He smirks to himself. A lady passing by gives him a scowl which he counters with another eye roll.

“You want a repeat performance after I get back from Oregon?”

“How long are you gonna be there?”

“Two, three days tops.”

“‘Kay. I’ll be waiting.”

“Fuck yeah!” A strange noise from the other line then Travis covers the microphone. “Oops sorry ‘bout that. I gotta go now. I still have to pack. Flight’s in 3 hours.”

Jesus Christ, he hasn’t packed yet? “I’ll leave you to your packing then. For the love of god don’t forget your deodorant. I still shudder every time I remember that time in Chicago with the crew.”

“Hey, that was _one_ time! And I showered four times that day!”

“Still wasn’t enough! Okay, imma hang up now. Again, don’t forget your deodorant!”

“Yeah yeah, I love you. Bye.” Nico pauses and so does Travis. He hears shuffling from the other line. “Uh,” Nico starts.

Travis groans. He can imagine him rubbing the back of his neck with his face scrunched up feeling guilty as hell, like that time Nico caught him making out with one of the PAs a few years back. “Fuck, I certainly didn’t wanna say that through phone.” He sighs. “You know what, let’s talk about it when I get back.”

“Yeah. Okay. Sure. No problem. You still gotta pack for your trip.” Nico says in a rush. His palms start to clam despite the cold weather. He fiddles with Mrs. O’Leary’s leash to give his right hand something to do other than sweat.

“Uh-huh. I’m gonna hang up now.”

Nico stares at his phone for a long time after Travis hangs up that Mrs. O’Leary starts to whine at his feet. He apologizes to his dog and gives him a treat from his pocket then they continue walking home.

It’s too early to say ‘I love you’ in their relationship, right? They’ve only been dating a little over a month. 40 days. If their relationship is a dead person, said dead person’s spirit has just crossed to the afterlife. In some cultures that is. It is, without a doubt, too early to say ‘I love you’ in this relationship. What the fuck.

Nico hangs Mrs. O’Leary’s leash and gives her water which she enthusiastically accepts, drinking the whole bowl in only a few seconds. Nico gives her more. Then he gets in the shower, still thinking about the ‘I love you’ and if he should say it back when Travis gets back from his trip. It shouldn’t be hard, he still has two to three days to obsessively think about it.

He texts Jason right after he gets out of the shower.

 **Me**   
Can we hang out tonight? You can   
bring Piper if she wants to come **15:35**

 **Jace**   
hey! happy birthday! you’re old!   
aw sorry man, i would love to but   
piper’s dad invited us for dinner **15:37**   
you can come if you want! including your   
tristan mclean merch. i’m sure he’d be   
stoked to meet a fan **15:37**

 **Me**   
That sounds fucking awesome but I don’t want   
to impose **15:38**   
Thanks tho **15:38**

 **Jace**   
you sure? it’s really fine i asked pipes **15:38**

 **Me** **  
**Yeah it’s fine **15:38**

\--

 **Piper McLean**   
Nico! Happy birthday! You should come with us! **15:40**

 **Me**   
Thanks Piper but it’s your dinner. I’ll just   
text Hazel **15:40**

 **Piper ML**   
If that’s what you want. **15:41**   
If you change your mind, just google dad’s   
house, kay? You’re more than welcome   
to join us **15:41**

 **Me**   
Thanks. I’ll think about it 🙂 **15:43**

 **Piper ML**  
Send me your merch so I could make my dad  
sign them next time I’m here. **15:44**  
🥰 **15:44**  
🥳 **15:44**

\--

 **Me**   
Can I come later? **15:49**

 **Haze**   
Sure ! But Frank and I are gonna have   
dinner elsewhere. Meet us there ? **15:50**

 **Me**   
Sure. Where? **15:52**

 **Haze**   
Sapphire Cove in Burton at 6 ? **15:52**

 **Me**   
Sure. See you. **15:53**

 **Haze**   
See you !! **15:53**   
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 **15:53**

Nico is about to toss his phone on the bed when he notices a WhatsApp notification. It must’ve been the vibration from earlier. It’s been weeks since he opened the app that he forgot he had it in the first place. He taps the annoying red ‘1’ and reads the message. It was from Lou Ellen.

 **Lou Ellen**   
WhatsApp says it’s your birthday so   
happy birthday i guess **15:13**

Nico tosses his phone on his bed without replying and stares at his dresser for a few minutes before changing into something. He lies down, giving no mind to his wet hair, and falls asleep with Travis’ words still echoing in his ear but the figure of a certain blond behind his eyelids.

Nico wakes up a few minutes shy of 6. He jumps out of bed, almost passing out by how fast he stands up and wears the first thing he grabs from his dresser. He pockets his phone, wallet, and keys. He makes sure nothing else is plugged except for his fridge then brings Mrs. O’Leary to his neighbor-sometimes-sitter Kimmy. He doesn’t bother locking his door since Kimmy gets food for Mrs. O’Leary in his cupboards. She can lock up after. He thanks Kimmy and swears to pay her extra for the last minute notice and runs to his car. 

Hazel meets him at the door of the restaurant and slightly chastises him for his tardiness and fashion choices. He says it’s fine since he’s only with her and Frank. She rolls his eyes and links her arm around his.

“Happy birthday,” she greets.

“Thanks. Where’s Frank?”

“At the back with my stuff. I told him I’m gonna get you.”

“Uh-huh,” they walk in silence for a few beats before he says something again. “This is my first time here. Is the food any good?”

“I dunno. It’s my first time too. You should ask Frank.”

“Speaking of which, have you talked to him about the honeymoon?”

“Yep. We agreed on Rome.”

“What’s in Rome?”

“Um, family?”

“I dunno about dad’s side of the family there but I think my nonna’s still alive. If you don’t mind them talking shit about me for ‘killing’ mom, I could probably ask Zia Aurora to tour you around Venice if you happen to be around the area.”

“Oh fuck no. I’d rather get lost than be anywhere near them.”

Nico shrugs and squeezes his sister’s hand. “If you change your mind just text me.”

“No need because I’m never gonna do it. We’ll tour Italy by ourselves.”

“You should. It’s quite beautiful in the summer.” Hazel punches the elevator button and waits for it to go down. “I’m sensing this isn’t just a normal dinner so I have to ask, who's here?”

They get in and Hazel presses a button. “Hm? Me, Frank, Leo, Caly, Percy, and Annabeth. Jason and Piper wanted to come but they made prior commitments.”

“Aw, why?” He groans. “I thought this was just gonna be us.”

“Shut up, this is just like our weekly brunch. We haven’t seen Percy and Annabeth since the engagement so I’m stoked they came.”

“Mhm.” He agrees.

The elevator pings and Hazel leads him in front of doors that are suspiciously bigger for a room that’s supposed to house seven people including him. He pays no mind to it.

“Are you ready?”

“Should I be?”

“Stop answering my questions with more questions.” She pushes the doors open and Nico is blasted in the face with party poppers.

“ **HAPPY BIRTHDAY!** ”

“What the fuck...” Travis appears from the side then he and Hazel scream 'surprise!' to his ear.

"Wuh-what the hell is going on?!" He asks, still bewildered by the sight before him. Not only his friends are here (Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Caly) but also his co-workers, from the actors down to the PAs. There are about 50 people inside screaming and cheering for him.

Nico looks at his boyfriend who's grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. He sees Connor a few steps behind his brother. "Did you do this?" He gestures at everyone who still has their faces in wide smiles, waiting for him to do something.

"Yeah! Happy thirtieth, babe!" Travis closes their distance and kisses him full in the mouth. “Were you surprised?”

Fuck. He truly believed he still had two days to think about what to say to Travis. After tonight, he’s sure Travis would want to come home with him. They would probably have sex again and tomorrow he’d wake up with Travis beside him and Travis would wake up and he would say ‘I love you’ again and he would freak out and probably say it back even if he doesn’t mean it. Or worse, he _would_ mean it and he’d freak out because when the _fuck_ did that happen?! Sure he forgets stuff but realizing you’re falling in love with someone is not something you forget about. You feel that shit growing every day!

With a smile that feels like it has been pulled out of him by pliers, he says, “Yeah. Thanks.” Travis beams at him and kisses him again on one cheek. Hazel, though still smiling, is now studying him.

The party is undeniably fun; drinks, music, games, food, Travis prepared them all. With the help of his sister, of course. Hazel told him that she tried her best not to get vexed by Travis and Connor’s presence the whole time they were planning the party.

Nico mingles with his friends and co-workers, taking pictures with them, hugging and kissing everybody who opens their arms at him. Feeling a tad at ease with Travis finally leaving him alone to have a chat with his other friends.

Nico almost loses his balance when a hand grabs his hips and pulls him in for a hug. He turns to see Apollo grinning down at him. Nico gives a matching smile and hugs him tight, clapping a toned shoulder when he pulls away. “Apollo! You’re here!”

Apollo cups his face and gives him a big smooch on the lips. He giggles when Apollo pulls away. “Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Not even my son David’s birthday.” He laughs before stopping, deeply thinking about his words. “Just kidding. I would certainly miss your birthday for my son.” Nico nods, amused. “Speaking of son, can I borrow your phone for a sec? I gotta call my other son. I got no power and I left my charger in my car. He wants to borrow one of my cars for his date with his girlfriend since his car is a piece of shit.” Nico hands him his phone and Apollo accepts it with a smile. “You know I keep telling him he should ditch that old Corolla of his so I could buy him a new one, but he keeps saying it’s fine. All this money and I can’t even spoil my eldest.” Apollo types the number down his phone.

“Ah, just let him. He has his own money. He’s getting recognized now, right? Maybe he just wants to be more financially independent. I mean, that’s one of the reasons why he opted not to use ‘Solace’, yeah? He wanted to be known for his talents, not his connections.”

“Michael? Ah, yeah he is. I’m very proud of him. But no, Michael’s not my eldest.” Apollo looks at him like he just said the most absurd thing the whole night. Nico looks at him with the same sentiment. “Wait, seriously you didn’t know? I thought everybody knew about my son? It was a huge scandal back then! Everybody knew about it. Nico, I thought you were my fan!”

“I am! I’ve never heard of this before!” Nico grabs the nearest person passing by which happens to be Annabeth. “Annabeth, you were a child actor in ‘46, did you know about Apollo’s eldest child?”

Confusion fills Annabeth’s face as she looks at Nico. She straightens herself when she sees Apollo’s perplexed smile. “Ah. Hi.” Annabeth says in a high-pitched voice. She extends her hand to him. “I’m Annabeth Chase.”

“The architect!” Apollo takes her hand and shakes it furiously. “I’ve seen your work on Frank and Hazel’s house. Good stuff. I love it. I’m a fan. Can I have a business card, though? My wife loved what you did. We’re thinking of buying a building and turning it into an apartment complex, with cheap rates of course. We want to hire you as our architect.”

Annabeth’s eyes are so big Nico thinks she’s gonna dry her eyes out. Annabeth lets out a squeak and pulls something out of her back pocket. She gives one to Apollo. “Is that a business card holder?” Nico asks.

“Yes. You don’t know when a business opportunity might arise.” Apollo gladly accepts the business card and pockets it. “And to answer your question, yes. He had his first child when he was sixteen.”

“Sixteen?! What the fuck!” Nico gives his attention back to Apollo. “Your son must be in his twenties now!”

“Yeah! He’s twenty-five.” He fiddles with Nico’s phone again. “Oh! You didn’t tell me you know him.” Nico is about to ask ‘who?’ but Apollo puts the phone to his ear and holds out a finger to Nico, signaling for him to pause. “Hey! It’s your dad! Uh-huh. I borrowed his phone. I left my charger in the car. It’s too annoying to get it. Uh-huh, it’s his birthday today! Hey, neither of you told me you know each other. Uh-huh. Yep. Yeah, you can borrow my car. Just take Katie home before Dina starts calling me, ‘kay? Alright. Bye. Kiss your mom for me before you kids go. Use protection!” Apollo ends the call and hands Nico’s phone back to him. “You were saying? Ah, yes, you didn’t tell me you know Wilhelm!”

“What?”

“I typed his number down and his name appeared in your contacts.”

Nico scratches the back of his head and his thigh, an absentminded move. “Wha- Will’s your son?”

“Yeah! We had him when Naomi and I were teenagers. We kept him out of the paps as per my mum’s request. We thought he wanted to sing when he was seventeen but he changed his mind. He’s in med school now.” Apollo answers proudly. “Why am I telling you this, you know this already! I love what you did with the contact name, though.” He winks at Nico then a waiter wanting a picture approaches Apollo. He excuses himself from Annabeth and Nico for a bit and focuses on the girl in front of him. 

What. The. Fuck.

Will Solace not Will Parrilla. Did he purposely withheld that information from him? Did he know Nico was working with his dad? Nico never told him he was writing for Purple Grave only because he doesn’t have to know everything about his job. But Will has seen the third season of the show, he already knows Nico is in it. It’s only common courtesy to say ‘Hey, you had simulated sex with my dad in your show while we were also making out on the side.’ What the fuck.

Withholding information about one's job is way different from not telling the person you’re swapping spit with that he’s fake boning your dad.

Wait, fuck. Will told him he knew Nico way before the Johnny’s incident. When the fuck did that happen?

“You know his kid?” Annabeth asks.

“I… I think so? I do? I don’t know. _Fuck,”_ he grabs the nearest drink he sees and downs it in one go.

“What’s he look like?”

“Like him but shorter. Kinder eyes. Big hands. Softer voice. Kind.” He tips his head and closes his eyes. “Fuck, that’s why he looked _so_ familiar!”

Annabeth lifts an eyebrow. “Sounds like you know him well.”

“Apparently I don’t because this is the first time I’m fucking hearing this.”

“Is he here? Should I go get Percy to meet him?”

“No. We uh, we aren’t talking… anymore. And didn’t you hear? He has a girlfriend now so,” He wrinkles his nose and sweeps his eyes around. He finds Travis doing shots at the bar with Connor, his girlfriend, and a couple of people in his charge before.

“I’m sensing something here. Do you wanna talk about it?”

“If you’re gonna tell me I like him, save it. I’ve had this talk with Hazel and Frank since March last year. I’m not in love with him, I’m with Travis now. That ship has sailed.”

“Okay, defensive much? I only asked if you want to talk.”

“I don’t.”

“Okay.” Annabeth takes a sip of her drink. “Do you have pictures of him?”

With furrowed brows, Nico unlocks his phone and goes to the folder where all of Will’s selfies are stored. He and Travis don’t go through each other’s phones so he doesn’t see the point of deleting them. What’s important is he’s not using them to jack off or look at it every night to cry. He gives his phone to Annabeth.

“Oh my,” She says, clutching her chest. “He’s so handsome.”

“You sound like an old lady in a country club leering at the new tennis instructor. And keep it in your pants, Chase. He’s 25. Way too young for you.”

“Based on what you’re behaving, I’m assuming you two had a thing before so why aren’t you dating him? And--oh my god,” She shows Nico the almost-naked photo from months ago. The one Leo showed Caly the first time they met her. “He’s sending you photos like this? A few centimeters down and I can see his whole dick.”

Nico rolls his eyes, fighting a smile. “Nah, at least a few inches more before you can see the whole thing.”

“So you’ve seen it up close and personal. Dear lord. And he’s pretty too. You like pretty boys! I’m not saying Travis isn’t pretty but he kind of looks like an elf? Like my cousin’s friend, Hearth.”

“Magnus?”

“Yeah.”

“How’s he, by the way?”

“Fine. Happy. Got married last year with Alex.”

“I don’t know who that is but good for him.” He smiles then remembers what they were talking about and groans. “Oh god. I had fake sex with his dad then kissed him the next day!”

Annabeth’s eyes widen and she pulls Nico to the side, away from prying ears. “You made out with Apollo Solace’s son?”

Hazel appears by his side with Jason and Piper in tow. “Hey, we’ve been looking for you all over! What’re you talking about?”

“Nico had been making out with Apollo Solace’s son!”

“What? Michael has a girlfriend. She was there at my engagement party. Bea’s real nice.”

“No, I was talking about Apollo’s non-showbiz son.”

“What?! Will is Paul Russel’s son?!”

“Wait, who’s Will?”

“Paul Russel’s son! Keep up, Jason!”

“What?!”

“Look!” Annabeth shows her his phone.

Nico immediately snatches his phone from Annabeth’s hands, preventing Piper from seeing the photo. He pockets it and starts walking away from his friends.

“Nico, wait!” Hazel calls. He doesn’t stop. He looks to his left and sees Travis still drinking with Connor and their friends. Good. If both of them drink enough tonight they wouldn’t have to talk about anything tomorrow, they’d be too hungover to even get out of bed. 

He uses the fire exit to go to the parking lot and sits on the hood of his car despite the cold weather. The air isn’t that cold anymore, he tells himself, he can sit here for a while and not die of exposure.

The sound of footsteps disturbs the quiet and he turns to see Jason walking towards him. “Hey,” he says, “it’s cold out here.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back inside. Just need a little time alone.”

Jason moves closer and sits beside him. He shivers a little before relaxing. “You don’t have to sit here with me, Jace. It’s cold. Go back inside.”

“Nah, too many people. Gonna stay here and recharge myself for a while.”

Nico scoffs. “You? Recharge from people? That’s a first.”

“A lot of shit happened in nine years, you know. I’ve changed.”

“Yeah, I know. Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry about anything. I told you many times now. We needed the time apart to grow, and we did.”

Nico doesn’t say anything. They sit together in silence, looking at the cars come and go. A few of his guests also leave. Most don’t see them but a few do like Apollo who kissed his cheek and shook Jason’s hand, and Reyna and Thalia who kissed his forehead and hugged him before taking off.

Jason produces a cigarette from his coat pocket and lights it. He takes a long drag and turns his head to blow the smoke away from Nico. This is definitely another first. “I didn’t know you smoke.”

“Hm? Yeah. Told you, I’ve grown.”

“Calm down, Michael Fassbender. I’m just surprised.”

“Piper hates it so I don’t do it often. I used to finish a pack a day, now I only go through one a month.” He takes another drag and inhales.

“Travis told me he loves me.” Nico blurts just as Jason takes another drag. Surprised, he gets into a coughing fit. “I was relieved when he told me he was going to Oregon today with Connor ‘cus I don’t know what to say. But he was just throwing me off so he could surprise me with this party.”

Jason throws the half-finished cigarette on the ground and grinds it with his heel. He clears his throat a couple of times before speaking. “Wow. That’s… good, isn’t it?”

“We’ve only been dating over a month.”

“Okay, a little too fast but maybe he liked you even before you started dating. He didn’t tell you because you have a, uh, what’s the word… ah, strong personality.”

“Just say bitch, I’m not offended by it anymore.”

“Woah, no need for that language. Angry is just fine.”

“We were fucking for almost 4 years. He slipped this afternoon right before hanging up.”

“Whaaaat? Okay okay. I guess that makes sense.”

“No, it doesn’t. It doesn’t make sense to me.” Nico shifts so he’s facing Jason. “Why didn’t he tell me before? I could’ve done something about it.”

“What would you have done if he told you that four years ago?”

“I don’t know? End the arrangement, maybe? It’s like, friends with benefits 101: never fall in love with your fuck buddy.”

“Following your logic, he must’ve been afraid you’d break it off if he told you. With the two of you finally dating, he probably thought it was fine to say it now.”

Jason is right. He doesn’t want to admit it but Jason is right. Though he and Travis haven’t been through a lot like he and Jason and Percy and Annabeth did, a confession would definitely put a strain in their relationship. He had cut off his friends so effortlessly in his life before, how easily would he have done it to a person he’d only known for a couple of years.

They go back inside after a while, Nico tries his best to enjoy the rest of the party.

  
  


The drive home is quiet. He has sobered up pretty quickly since he’s only had half a bottle of beer and that shot he took after talking to Apollo. Travis is on the passenger seat, passed out and drooling on his shoulder. At least one of them enjoyed the whole thing.

He kills the engine, runs to Travis’ side, crouches in front of him and places his arms over his shoulders. He crosses them over his chest and holds his right bicep tight before lifting Travis up with his hips and back, like a backpack. He learned this move in first-aid training a decade ago. It’s the only thing he can remember from that two-day class but it’s useful as hell. God knows how many people he’s had to carry like this through the years.

Travis is still mostly out when they reach Nico’s place. He mumbled every now and then while Nico was struggling to get them inside the building, earning him weird looks and inquiries if he needed any help, he declined them all. 

He puts Travis to bed, removes his shoes, makes him drink a glass of water before tucking him in and placing a pot on the floor just in case he wakes up in the middle of the night to puke. Nico even goes out of his way and wipes Travis’ face with a damp towel. He’d still feel sticky and gross in the morning but hopefully better.

When everything is in place and Travis is not in any danger of choking in his own puke, Nico heads to Kimmy for Mrs. O’Leary. He practically gives all of his cash but she returns the extra bills saying $100 is more than enough. He thanks her again and brings Mrs. O’Leary home. He reminds himself to buy her food next time. Mrs. O’Leary sneezes the moment they enter the threshold so he gives himself a sniff. He doesn’t stink but he could use a shower before going to bed. 

A buzz in his pocket distracts Nico as he locks the door behind him. He quickly takes it out from his back pocket while his dog trots down to his bedroom.

It’s a simple text. One cannot even consider it as a ‘text’ if he looks at it hard enough. It’s like a toddler grabbed the phone and punched in a bunch of letters that the owner erases but somehow sends.

 **WILHELM!!! 🥵**  
h **23:52**

Nico bites his lip, tempted to reply. But what would he say? ‘Thank you’? ‘I can’t believe you know’? This is obviously a mistake, a butt-text (pocket-text?) or whatever since his dad called him through his phone. It’s been weeks since they last talked, Will won’t just text him with purpose. This must be a mistake. Yes, this is a mistake. He should ignore it.

Nico drags himself back to his (their?) room, phone still clutched in his hand, his intent to wash the night away all forgotten. He places his phone on his nightstand. He washes his face, strips down to his boxers and gets under the blanket. Travis groans and immediately slings an arm across his stomach, moving closer so he’s cuddling Nico with his nose on the crook of his neck. He plants a soft kiss on the small patch of skin under his ear. “Love you,” he whispers. His steady breathing tickles the back of Nico’s neck as he drifts back to sleep.

Nico stays awake for most of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the [wedding dress](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_k4qliDu-Y/) Hazel shows Nico. 
> 
> After this chapter, updates will be every two weeks now. Work for this year starts again tomorrow and I'm freaking out about what to do first. Sorry ☹️☹️
> 
> Tell me what you think!  
> You can find me on [tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/) and my new [twitter](https://twitter.com/haatoriii) account lol


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will clutches his phone tight in his hands. He feels his skin slowly warming up to the new environment, making his skin sticky and cold to the touch. The scent of his new lemon-scented car freshener still clings to his clothes. The strain of standing still for a long time and tensed muscles slowly creep up on him.
> 
> With sweat blooming on his scalp, his eyes linger on the small word that says ‘read’ under his ‘message’ to Nico: **_h_**
> 
> What. The fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking an involuntary hiatus. I just couldn't concentrate because of personal stuff. I was supposed to post this yesterday for my birthday but I got the bug and it's making me paranoid a little bit because of the "ordeal" we're all experiencing. I'm still sick right now but I think I'm gonna be better later. 
> 
> Anyway, here's the latest chapter. It's still unbeta'd btw :)
> 
> If you see any grammatical errors, please don't hesitate to message me so I can change it.

Will clutches his phone tight in his hands. He feels his skin slowly warming up to the new environment, making his skin sticky and cold to the touch. The scent of his new lemon-scented car freshener still clings to his clothes. The strain of standing still for a long time and tensed muscles slowly creep up on him.

With sweat blooming on his scalp, his eyes linger on the small word that says ‘read’ under his ‘message’ to Nico:  **_h_ **

What. The fuck.

Who the fuck sends ‘h’ to someone? More importantly, how?! He was literally deleting his birthday message. Stupid thumbs for being too big and stupid phone for being too sensitive to touch.

Oh well, no sense in crying and complaining about it, spilt milk and all that. He just hopes Nico won’t reply to his message.

It’s cool, right? Nico’s not typing anything so that’s fine… right? Is he expecting him to reply? Get your mind off the gutter, Solace. He doesn’t like you that way. How many times does he have to tell you? Do you hate yourself that much to subject yourself to that pain one more time?

Will throws his phone to his bed, but it bounces off to the floor. He quickly kneels beside it to check for damages. There’s none. Fuck.

He throws his phone again on the bed. This time the foam absorbs the impact.

Will strips and takes a shower longer than usual, just standing under the spray, his mind playing the song he heard right after dropping Katie over and over in the same verse. 

_ And I have been meaning to tell you _ _  
_ _ I think your house is haunted _ _  
_ _ Your dad is always mad and that must be why _ _  
_ _ And I think you should come live with me _ _  
_ _ And we can be pirates _ _  
_ _ Then you won't have to cry _ _  
_ _ Or hide in the closet _

Will smirks under the spray, water flowing down his hair like rain on leaves. He doesn’t relate to the song in any way, but it’s funny how he knows some people might try to connect it to what’s happening to him right now.

His mind goes back to when he was a child, playing with his tiny tricycle in his grandma’s yard, digging up worms and playing with them until it’s time for lunch or when it’s time to sleep with mom and dad for the weekend. He thinks about the time when he punched Tommy Shaw for picking on Ben Hawthorne in 5th grade when everyone knew he just lost his dad in an accident. And then that Christmas when he met Nico for the first time. The way he looked so tired, so resigned. The dark circles under his eyes made even darker by the poor lighting in the corner where he ate his chocolate cake. Will remembers thinking he looked like he was only a few steps away from passing out, that the only reason why he’s still there and not in his bed was that he hated his home.

Well, look at that, it does connect to the song after all.

  
  


“I’m telling you, you should buy that nendoroid.”

“Why would I do that? I only have a hundred dollars left and it’s still the second week.”

“Just think about it. I saw one at Sevy’s two days ago, Lily said it’s the last one they have.”

“Dude, no.” A beat. “Fuck you, now I can’t stop thinking about it!”

“Boys.” Lou Ellen interrupts their banter as she stands in front of them with her hands clutched protectively on the handles of her bag. “Um, what… are we having for lunch?”

The two boys give her puzzled looks. “What’s going on? You look weird.” Cecil asks, eyeing their friend. Lou Ellen breathes out a sigh but remains quiet.

Lou Ellen holds Cecil’s stare for a while, neither of them blinking, then Lou Ellen’s eyebrow twitches. Cecil’s eyes widened. “Alright,” he says, standing up. “gonna take a shit for a while.” 

Lou Ellen rolls her eyes. She waits until she hears the click of the lock and the sound of Cecil’s mobile game. Lou Ellen turns back to Will and sits beside him.

“Uh, hi… Lou?” Will greets awkwardly. “What’s going on?” 

With an expression of total distaste, she digs something in her bag. It’s a box; nicely wrapped with a dark blue bow on top. It looks expensive.

“Uh, okay?” Will takes the box from her hand. “Thanks?” He says hesitantly. “You know my birthday isn’t until June, right?.”

“I know.”

“What gives?” He rubs a corner with the pad of his index finger. “Can I open it?”

Lou Ellen nods and he unwraps the box. It’s a stethoscope. A navy blue 3M Littmann with a black-finish chest piece. 

“Oh wow, this is beautiful. And expensive.”

“I know. I looked it up.”

Will tried it on. “Seriously, Lou, this is fucking amazing. Thank you!” He leans in to hug her but she shakes her head.

“That’s from Nico. He gave that to me last year. One for each of us, actually. I already gave Cecil his. And now yours.”

“Um,” Will looks dumbfoundedly at his stethoscope. “It’s already February. Can I ask why you’re just giving this to me?”

Will is not mad, not disappointed either, but he feels something sour in the pit of his stomach. Nico bought this for him. “I don’t understand why you’d keep this from me.” He continues.

Lou Ellen looks guilty as hell but there’s fire behind her eyes. “Because he hurt you, Will. I know how much you love him and he took a shit on your feelings, so forgive me if I didn’t want to give you something that would remind you of him. I still don’t approve of you and Kate getting back together because she ripped your heart too but at least you’re smiling.”

“That’s not your call, Lou.” Will shrugs. “It’s not up for you to decide what’s good for me or not. I’m not a kid, I can take care of myself. If I want him to keep shitting on my feelings then I  _ will  _ let him shit on my feelings. I don’t need your permission.”

“And if you think I’ll just sit here and watch you hurt yourself over him then you don’t know me at all.”

“Knock it off, guys.” Cecil says. Nobody even noticed him get out of the toilet. “Lou, like it or not, that was Will’s gift. You really should’ve given that to him last December and let him decide what to do with it.” He turns to Will. “And Will, she’s just looking out for you. I don’t say shit because I know how crazy you were for the guy and you’re my best friend, but she’s right. Nico hurt you, so we’re obligated as your best friends to make you feel better. I personally wouldn’t do it but I know where she’s coming from.”

Now he’s getting mad they’re ganging up on him so he walks away. “Whatever.” He slams his bedroom door and attempts to sleep.

  
  


A knock on the door wakes Will from his nap.

He rubs his eyes and stretches, cracking his back in multiple places before getting off the bed and opening his door. It’s Cecil, leaning against his door frame with his arms crossed, wearing an unreadable expression.

“What?” Will asks.

Cecil scrunches his nose and goes inside. Confused, Will closes the door and follows him. “I know you’re upset-”

“I’m not.”

Cecil glares at him and starts again, “I know you’re upset but there was no need to be a dick, Will.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not upset, and I’m certainly not the one who hid a gift that was meant for me.”

Cecil points a finger at him and shakes. “See that-that’s the thing, Lou Ellen was only looking out for you, man. You were so upset last year that you voluntarily slept with Katie. You explicitly told me you’re done with her!”

“Fuck you, I didn’t sleep with Katie right away.” Will’s brows furrows. 

Cecil pulls out his desk chair and sits. “But you did eventually. Are you back together now?”

“No!” He shouts, then Will realizes what he did. He clears his throat and repeats himself calmly. “No.”

“But you’re sleeping together again.” It’s not a question so Will doesn’t answer. Cecil spins himself a couple of times in the chair. 

Will can’t look at him.

“Does she know?”

He takes a little time to answer. “...no.”

They sit in silence, Cecil scraping dirt under his fingers and Will looking at his toes. The questions were too serious for someone who literally just woke up but Cecil didn’t care.

If he’s being honest, Will has no idea why he picked a fight with Lou Ellen. It was as if he used the stethoscope as an excuse to tell Lou Ellen off for prying with his personal business. 

“I’m gonna apologize to Lou.”

Cecil tips his head back, leaning on the desk chair. “You better.” He groans as he stands up. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Will follows him out.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Lou Ellen had ordered take-outs when Will was sleeping. They both took their wallets and gave her money. Will handed her the cash with a murmured ‘thanks’, Lou took them without saying anything.

Despite the silence, the dinner was surprisingly light. The food was from somewhere they’ve never been before so they’re all  _ ‘mhm’- _ ing and  _ ‘hmm’- _ ing the whole time. Lou Ellen dropped a sesame ball on each of their plates and continued eating without saying a word. Will smiled to himself, happy that his friend still shared her favorite dessert even when he was a dick to her.

Cecil volunteers to do the dishes after and angrily mouths at him to talk to her. He turns around to the sink, pretending to do the dishes. Lou Ellen is on the couch, playing with her phone. Will sits on the other end.

“Sorry.” He says. Lou Ellen snaps her head to him.

“Hm.” She continues to fiddle with her phone. “Sorry too.” She says when the silence stretches.

“Uh-huh.” Will taps his thigh. One, two, one, two, a senseless rhythm to ease the awkwardness. Apologizing is no big deal for Will, especially when he knows he’s wrong, and he  _ knows _ he’s wrong in this situation. What he doesn’t like is waiting for the other person to decide what to do with his apology. Lou Ellen has apologized as well so it’s only a matter of time before she says something to Will.

Finally, after what he thinks is ten minutes, Lou Ellen speaks. “Wanna get ice cream?”

Will gives her half a smile and they both stand up, heading to the door to get ice cream. He tells Cecil they’re going out. Cecil waves them off saying he wants double dutch.

  
  


“Do you think they’d allow us to leave early tomorrow?” Katie asks, she has her binder in front of her, scribbling down notes for tomorrow’s shadowing. 

Will racks his brain for things he must’ve forgotten. What’s going on tomorrow? Did he plan something with Katie? He did schedule a movie night with Lou Ellen and Cecil for the next day though. “What for?”

“The dinner? With my parents?” She closes her notes and stuffs them inside her bag. “Are you having second thoughts? I told you it’s fine if you don’t wanna come after what happened last Christmas. You know what, I’ll just cancel.” She tries to unzip her bag to get her phone but Will shakes his head.

“N-no, no, it’s fine. I just forgot.” An uneasy feeling stirs inside him. He bounces his leg, trying to ease the tension seeping through his skin.

It’s been a wonderful day. The weather, though cold, is starting to show telltale signs of spring and Will has always loved spring: Everything is new and/or starting fresh. He always feels rejuvenated during spring, like he, too, can start new and fresh. But today has been different. 

Katie starts talking about her new project in her home, beekeeping. She sounds excited that her mom is supportive of her since it also benefits her garden.

Will nods at her sudden bursts of sentences and smiles at her excited finger taps on the table, tension still dominating his gut, when he sees it- no, them. It’s Nico, with his boyfriend., across the street. Not holding hands but standing too close to each other. Nico’s head is tipped back, his eyes a mere slit on his face from laughing at what he’s saying. He looks happy.

He follows them with his eyes until they enter a restaurant and disappears inside, only then he turns his eyes back to Katie.

“Will? Is something wrong?”

“Huh? No, I’m fine.” He rubs his eyes, pretending to remove gunk. “I thought I saw someone I know.”

Katie purses his lips and finishes her cake in two bites. She looks like a chipmunk with cheeks full of food. She chews and swallows before talking. “You seem distracted. Let’s just talk about this tomorrow, yeah? You’ve been a little jumpy since this morning so I don’t think we’re going to accomplish anything tonight.”

Will feels like shit so he doesn’t argue. “Okay.”

Katie smiles at him sympathetically. She gathers all the dishes they used and stacks them together properly for easier cleanup. She does this all the time that Will and his friends have started copying her whenever they eat out. “I still have to swing by the bookstore so you don’t have to drop me off.” She takes one last sip of her drink before putting it on the pile. When she’s done, she leans in and gives him a short peck on the lips. “See you tomorrow.” And then she’s out the door.

Will licks his lips, tasting the peach flavor of her lip gloss. He decides to stay for another ten minutes, waiting if Nico would come out of the building. When that doesn’t happen even after twenty minutes, he leaves.

Will finds Cecil in their kitchen, making what he thinks are brownies.

“Hey.” Cecil greets him, then promptly looks back to what he’s doing. “I’m almost done. You wanna have the spoon?”

Will stands beside him but doesn’t say anything. Cecil gives him the chocolate-covered ladle nevertheless. He gives his friend a curt smile and takes it.

Cecil makes his brownies extra complicated. He uses ingredients Will hasn’t seen or even heard before, like glucose, and he only mixes it by hand. Cecil tried to teach him before but his arm got too tired mixing it so he gave it back to him.

Cecil sprinkles raw peanuts on the batter, taps the baking pan twice on the counter to remove bubbles, and stuffs it inside the preheated oven. He does the same to the other pan then sets the timer. He wipes his hand on his apron and starts cleaning his mess.

“What’s up?” Cecil asks while wiping the counters. He gathers all dishes on the sink and starts the water.

“I’m not over Nico. I will never be over him.” Will says nonchalantly as if they’re talking about the weather. He puts the ladle inside the bowl. Cecil turns his back to him, a signal for him to take over in doing the dishes, and packs away the all-purpose flour and other powders. He takes a sniff of the vanilla extract and hides it inside one of the cupboards.

“Dude, it’s only been two months.”

“And? I liked him since I was 17, what’s your point?”

Cecil opens his mouth to say something but closes it again. He wipes the unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar off the countertops. 

“What are you gonna do?” Cecil asks.

“I need to break things off with Katie.” Will rinses the soapy dishes and places them on the rack to dry. He wipes his hands dry when he’s done.

“Okay.”

The two of them stay quiet in the kitchen, looking for more things to clean until the oven beeps. They move mechanically as they remove the brownie from the wax paper before it cools and sticks completely to the cake. Cecil slices two large pieces, one for him and one for Will, and keeps the rest in plastic containers. Will fetches the ice cream in the fridge and places scoops of it on their cakes. They move to the living room to watch a movie until it’s time to go to bed.

  
  


“Wilhelm, will you give this to Dina?” His dad hands him a neatly-wrapped present. “Just tell her it’s from me.”

“What’s in here?” He lifts the box near his ear and gives it a little shake. It rattles inside.

“Please don’t do that, something might break.”

“What’s inside?”

“A glass dildo.” Will gives his dad a sarcastic glare. Apollo rolls his eyes. “I don’t know. Thalia asked me to give it to her, but since you’re having another date night with Katie I figured I could just give it to you, then you give it to her, and she could give it to her mom. Easy peasy.”

“That’s a lot of words for ‘I don’t want to drive to Ryebell.’”

“Yeah, that too.” Apollo grins at his son. “Come on, you’re going there anyway!”

“Okay dad, fine.”

Apollo pumps his fist and whispers ‘yes!’ before kissing his son on the cheek and clapping his shoulder. “Off you go then, Willy-boy! Katie is waiting and I gotta have sex with your mom!”

“Dad, gross!”

“Then go so you don’t have to hear how your mom and I are gonna bump nasties!”

“Apollo if you don’t shut up no ‘bumping nasties’ is gonna happen!” His mom screams from her study. Will makes a face.

His dad wiggles his eyebrows at him comically. “Alright, alright. I’m going.” Will says. He hugs his dad goodbye and blows a kiss to his mom before leaving. .

Ryebell is closer to UNR than his childhood home but Will doesn’t mind the drive. In fact, he needs it for tonight because he’s finally breaking off whatever this is he’s doing with Katie and he has to  _ think. _ A shitty thing to do after having dinner with  _ her _ parents in  _ her home _ , yes, but he doesn’t want to string her along anymore. They never discussed anything because Will never had the intention of getting back with her in the first place. He has no idea if Katie thinks the same, but if she gets furious at him after this then it’s the risk he’s willing to take.

Will eyes the bouquet of sunflowers on his side and hopes they could still be friends after tonight.

Dina greets him at the door with a kiss on his cheek. She eyes him appreciatively as she takes the present from his dad and calls her daughter by screaming at the top of her lungs. Will smiles at her and takes his shoes off. Steve runs to him and hugs his leg while Meg stares at them from the couch, the blue light from the TV reflecting on her glasses. He waves at her but gets nothing in response.

“Hey!” Katie tiptoes and kisses his cheek. She smiles broadly when he gives her the bouquet. “These are beautiful, thanks! Lemme put them in a vase.” She rushes to the direction of the kitchen.

“Hello, Eric.”

“Will.” Eric says, then goes back to watching Teen Titans rerun with his youngest kids.

Dinner is fine as usual. The food is good, the company is great, and nobody asks any homophobic questions. Danny and Mira probably oriented their dad about the things that are okay to say because Eric only talks about ‘safe’ topics throughout the meal like school, hobbies, and Dina’s latest project.

The Gardners have treated Will like one of their own, even after he and Katie broke up, so he appreciates everything that they’re doing to make him comfortable, even if he doesn’t deserve it after what he’ll do to their daughter before the night ends.

They gather at the library when dinner is over like a bunch of rich old-timey people from movies. Even when Will grew up with money, most of his nights growing up was just him and Michael doing whatever the hell they wanted since their mom and dad were busy with their work, be it recording or filming in other countries. Only when he graduated high school did his parents have the time to spend their days off with them, and of course that increased when David and Aiden were born.

They mostly talk, Eric asking Katie and him a bunch of questions about their rotations while Dina makes some calls and the twins have their imaginary tea party in front of them. Danny and Mira have retired to their bedrooms thirty minutes ago to ‘finish their assignments’, teenage term for: I wanna fuck around with my phone until it’s time for bed. It’s fine, Will understands.

“Kids, I’m off to bed. It’s getting late.” Eric groans as he stands up. He stretches, popping his back, removes his glasses and puts it in his pocket. “I’m sure you have  _ other _ things to do.” He winks at them.

“Dad! Don’t be gross!” Katie complains. Eric laughs and claps Will on his shoulder.

“Yeah yeah, just be safe kids. Use protection. I used to want grandkids but we have Steve and Meg now so I’m still good for a few years.”

“Dad, go to bed. I’m not gonna have kids any time soon, I can swear on that.”

“Good. Night, kids.”

“Night, dad.” “Goodnight, Eric.”

Will waits until Eric is out of earshot before psyching himself up. Katie is a beloved friend and she deserves a proper explanation, not a half-assed excuse.

“Kates--”

“Will,” Katie interjects. She rises from her seat and moves beside him. “I… I think we should talk.”

Katie plays with the hem of her shorts, not looking at him. Will’s mind is full and empty at the same time, like he’s thrown in a house with a ringing phone, a crying child, and a boiling kettle--he doesn’t know what to focus on. 

Will waits for her to continue. It’s the least he could do after what he’ll do in a few minutes.

“We should stop this.” Katie is still playing with the hem of his short, a thread now loose at the end, still she keeps pulling. Will’s words are stuck in his throat. “I realized it was selfish of me to keep throwing myself at you, tempting you, even when you said you don’t want me anymore.”

Finally, she looks at him, eyes glimmering under the dim lighting of the library. “I took advantage of your vulnerability and used it--used you.”

“No, Kates, that’s not--”

“Please, Will, let me finish or else I’ll lose what little courage I have in me.” She makes a fist and grits her teeth. 

Will shuts his mouth abruptly, heart hammering inside his chest. He wants to tell her it’s his fault, not hers. He was weak and the moment Katie showed interest in him, he latched on to it instead of moving on like a normal fucking person, because it was familiar. Because it was safe.

Katie knew him and he knew her like the back of his hand. Even when she cheated, there was still a part of him that was sure she loved him still, and she did. She still does.

“I love you, Will. I love you so much it hurts. Every time I look at you it feels like I’m being turned inside out. I want to go back two years ago and just scream at me for ruining the best thing that happened to me.” She looks at him defiantly, as if daring Will to say anything that would invalidate her feelings. When Will stays silent, she relaxes and laughs, low and devoid of humor. “I can’t do that though, can I?” She smiles at him. “I know you still love him, whoever he is. I saw it in your eyes last year, the way you smiled when you opened your phone. I saw it in your eyes yesterday at the restaurant when those two guys walked by. You never once looked at me that way.”

Will ducks his head guiltily, like a child who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He never realized he was that obvious.

“It’s fine, Will. We weren’t together, been that way for like two years now. You can fall in love with whomever you like. You have no obligation with me anymore.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t. I should be the one apologizing.” She clears her throat. “I’m sorry I kissed you after you got your heart broken and tried to have sex with you, and actually having sex with you just a few weeks after. I’m sorry I tried to pretend I didn’t hurt you and forced myself on you.”

“Don’t say that, Kates. You didn’t force me.”

“You were miserable, Will. You were pretending you were okay but I know you. We were friends before we started fucking.”

A sudden laugh bursts out of Will, too shocked to hold himself back from the language she used. “Don’t say it as if feelings weren’t involved. I did love you, Katie. I still do, but not the way that you wanted me to.”

“I know.” She lets out a few laughs of her own.

With the tension broken from his laugh, Will takes a deep breath and starts. “You know, I was planning on ending whatever this is tonight.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“You beat me to it.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Will clears his throat and continues. “After seeing him yesterday, I realized that I still love him and this feeling won’t go away anytime soon. It’s here to stay. I know he’s with someone else right now and who knows what might happen next, right? They might get married, I might get into a car accident and die, I might start a band and make it big. But I want to hold on to this, you know?”

Will leans back to his chair and looks at the moths gathered around one of the lights. “He’s part of who I am today. I didn’t tell you this, I never told anyone about this except maybe Lou Ellen and Cecil, not even to my parents, but I met him when I was 17. Dad brought me to the set of this movie where he had a cameo, Nico was one of the set PA, it was Christmas. He was sitting on this chair beside those huge lights they use for filming or whatever, eating chocolate cake. He was  _ so _ tiny! He looked  _ so _ tired, pale as hell, dark circles and eye bags under his eyes, but he was still the most beautiful person I’ve seen in my whole-ass 17 years.” Will scratches his neck and continues. “We got to talking then I mentioned to him my problem; should I go into acting like dad or music like mom. He asked me about what I want and I’m like ‘huh.’ Nobody’s asked me what I wanted up to that point, mind you so I was like, blown away.” He makes a hand gesture that mimics explosion. Katie giggles. “Then he was like, you’re not your parents, you should do whatever makes you happy. And I was like, being a doctor would make me happy, I wanna help the sick, blah blah blah, you know, the cheesy stuff. And he was like, then be a doctor, help the sick, you’d be great at it. He didn’t even know me back then and he said I’d be great at it!”

“Wow, he sounded amazing.”

“He was!” Will almost yells, eyes gleaming with admiration and awe. “He still is.”

“You should win him back,” Katie says after a moment’s silence. “You obviously love him, so why not give it another try?”

Will's smile slightly faltered. “I told you, he has a boyfriend now.”

“I’m not saying you have to win him back right away or snake your way in, I’m saying be friends with him again. From what I heard from Cecil and Lou Ellen’s conversations he cut you off?”

“No. I did.”

“Why?”

“He said he didn’t like me that way,”

“What are you, thirteen? This is not middle school, Will. You’re twenty-five, you’re a whole ass adult. Go to him and win your man back!”

Will can’t help but laugh at Katie’s overenthusiasm. “No, it’s… it’s gonna be harder than that.”

“Then make a plan, boy. Make a plan on how to win him back.”

“I’m not gonna do that. If he’s happy with his…” He swallows before continuing, “boyfriend right now then I’m not gonna do anything to ruin it.”

“You’re not comprehending what I'm saying! Just,” she makes a vague gesture with her hands, "be friends with him again. Show him that you still wanna be his friend and you're not expecting anything else."

"But… I'm expecting something from him?" He raises an eyebrow at her. "That's contradicting your earlier statement."

"Gah! You know what I mean." She smiles at him so beautifully he almost felt bad about telling her how much he loved Nico.

Will opens his arms and pulls her in for a hug. Katie sags against his chest, burying her face in the crook of his neck. They stay there for a few minutes, holding each other, comforting each other and it feels like they’re young again, when everything is simple and everything makes sense, when nothing matters except his family, friends, and the woman in his arms.

They’ve grown significantly as people, more so after they broke up; Katie became independent, no longer relying on her family’s money and influence that much, while Will became impulsive, but only to a point where making decisions, especially the ‘seemingly important’ ones, don’t stress him out anymore. The best example of this was his decision to sit with Nico in that restaurant almost two years ago.

They part with a smile, thankful for the years of friendship and the years to come. Will kisses her on her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her lips. She giggles and kisses his cheek.

He stands up and tries to smooth out the creases of his shirt. He walks out of the library with a smile on his face knowing that he doesn’t have to say goodbye to this house and this family.

Will gets into his car and starts the ignition. He slowly backs away from the driveway and is finally on his way home, thinking about how to approach Nico should they see each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got another temp work again and I applied for another job because capitalism sucks but I need money. I don't think it would greatly affect the schedule of my posting but if ever I'm late again, it's because I'm panicking.
> 
> Tell me what you think!
> 
> Still, I'm on [tumblr](http://haatorii.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/haatoriii).
> 
> I have to go to bed now. Goodnight!


End file.
